Where Wild Things Go
by thegirlwhocan
Summary: Sequel to 'The other Smoak girl'. An interesting offer throws Team Arrow into a fight the scale of which they had never seen before. A deadly toxin threatens the lives of their little family, leading Felicity and Oliver to realize who they're really fighting for. An oath must be kept; the fallout might just destroy the Arrow.
1. The Proposal

**A/N: **_So I'm back! I'm a few weeks ahead, and will try to update this sequel 3 times a week. If you haven't read the first part, 'The other Smoak girl', I recommend you go do that . . . now! Otherwise this will make little sense. *waves* any of my usual readers from the first story, welcome back I hope you've had a pleasant few weeks, even in this damned heat. Without further ado, lets begin!_

* * *

** 'The proposal'**

"Felicity – talk to me." Oliver was standing on the top of a building, which wasn't so unusual, as he waited for an answer. His bow was notched, ready, but he had no clue where the others had got to. The last he'd seen, Sara was taking on a small army of drug dealers working in the clubs of the city, becoming rooted in Starling City party culture during his complacency. It had been almost six months since Slade had vanished, making it five since he had been so content at Christmas; they had all got so comfortable that they had allowed smaller crime to return to the city because they were happy.

But when they'd heard about this one group selling drugs to teens at parties – they had all seen red, him particularly. He still had nightmares about Thea's accident.

"Sara could probably do with some help," Felicity supplied helpfully, and he could hear the faint tapping of keys as she spoke. "There were a lot of men in that club, she and Diggle are outnumbered."

"What about Roy and Lena?"

"They took off after a van which left the scene just after you arrived. I don't know who or what is in it, but when I last spoke to them they were pursuing."

"Keep me updated," Oliver replied briskly, already moving. Firing a new arrow he had designed, which held a grappling hook which deployed as it flew, he jumped from the top of the building. The hook caught, and he was swinging through the air before he knew it. This was a relatively new invention from the last month, from when he and Barry had gotten competitive so Oliver had set to work creating as many new trick arrows as he could. It was a game, and he hated to lose. This one was one of his favourites, every time he flew like this, he couldn't hold back the adrenaline fuelled cry which escaped him; he heard Felicity laugh in his ear.

When he got to the scene, bursting into a dimly lit club via the skylight and sending a scattering of glass onto the people fighting below, Oliver was instantly active, shooting two arrows towards a man advancing on Diggle's turned back. They pinned the man's sleeves to the wall, the noise enough for Diggle to finish off his own fight with a few square punches and look up at his friend.

"You took long enough," he commented dryly, shooting another two guys approaching with tranquilisers.

Oliver laughed, "You're welcome."

They fought their way into the back room of the club, where Sara was taking on the rest of the men involved. It was a ten on one fight, and she was still managing to hold her own, dashing and jumping through the crowd more expertly than either of them. She hit out with her metal sticks with near impossible precision, and had taken out four of the guys before they even arrived. But before either Oliver or Diggle could move to help, they were blown past by a red blur, which moved around the remaining six men in a few seconds, leaving all of them unconscious on the ground.

The blur stopped to reveal Barry standing in front of them, arms crossed across his chest and a smug grin on his face, saying calmly, "you guys are losing your touch."

"Shut up, Rookie," Oliver grumbled, pressing a hand to his ear once more as he looked around at the men, either bound or unconscious. They'd done well – but he could not find the leader's faces among them. "Felicity, tell detective Lance we've got a pick up waiting for him. But the leaders aren't here."

"Got it," Felicity replied, doing just that. Then her face fell a little as she realized something, speaking to Oliver again. "They must be in the van."

"Damn it. Are Roy and Lena still on it?"

"They're following, but it's getting away. What should I tell them to do?" Felicity asked.

"Nothing stupid," Oliver replied grimly, nodding to the others to move out. They headed towards the doors in a tight-knit group, a well oiled machine from a few months collaboration, even their steps falling into place, although he knew Barry would be itching to run again. "Tell them we're on our way."

"What's up?" Sara asked.

"The leaders are in a van, Roy and Lena are following but they're losing them," Oliver said. Then he looked at Barry with a frown, "where's the Kid?"

"I sent him to find them," Barry groaned. For the past few months his nephew, after receiving the same powers in a replica of Barry's accident, had taken the role of his sidekick and started working with him. Oliver hadn't been sure of this at first, initially warning his friend against it, only to have his own hypocrisy turned against him – he worked with Roy and Lena, and they were really just kids. His nephew was younger, only sixteen, but was wickedly smart and did Barry proud. "I thought they were leaving, that he'd be safer . . ."

"Don't worry, they'll look after him," Oliver reassured him, as they all piled into the black van they sometimes used to follow. Diggle drove while the other three sat in the back, shaking off the fight they had just left behind. "They always do."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Barry sighed, looking very much like he wanted to run ahead but was restraining himself to stay with them. "Do you remember what happened last time we left them alone together on a job? When they're at home, they're fine – did you know Wally's been coming to Starling once a week to stay over at Roy's? But last time we let them fight together-"

"It was carnage," Oliver said, remembering it. "They all tried to out-do one another and damn near got themselves killed in the process."

"Exactly."

"I'm sure they learned their lesson . . ." Oliver trailed off resignedly. The truth was, they never learned. He and Barry were the same when it came to competitiveness – that was where the kids got it from. "Who am I kidding? Of course they didn't."

The rest of the drive, guided by Felicity, was quiet.

* * *

"Hold it!" Lena shouted, jumping from one roof top to another as she shouted out, skidding on the asphalt as she landed and hearing Roy do the same just behind her. They had been running over Starling via the skyline for the past ten minutes, watching a blue van weave through backstreets and traffic away from the scene. Ahead of her, Kid Flash skidded to a halt and looked back on them, jumping about on the spot until they had caught up.

"I could catch the van!" Wally West protested, looking at them both desperately, "it's easy, if you'd just let me-"

"No!" Roy and Lena shouted in unison, keeping a much slower pace now, their leaps becoming tired. At their shout, the younger kid looked hurt behind his goggles for a moment, almost standing still. He had been waiting to prove himself for a while now. But they were all fiercely protective of him, Barry especially, so he hadn't been given a chance yet.

"Sorry, little cousin," Lena said more kindly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your uncle would kill us if we let you do something like that alone."

"But they're getting away," he protested.

"We'll see about that. Watch him."

"What?" Roy asked, seeing the latter part of the sentence was directed at him, but by the time he looked around, Lena was already running away. She got to the edge of the building, but instead of jumping to the next one, she leapt into midair. Sharing a look, Roy and Wally rushed to the end of the building, stopping at the wall to see what she'd do. "You idiot," he said through gritted teeth, knowing she had trapped him: he couldn't leave the kid alone to go after her.

For five terrifying seconds, Lena fell through the air. She didn't move a muscle to slow her descent, hair flying around her with her arms stretched out. Then she pulled a crossbow from the clips on her back, firing off a grappling hook which collected on the side of a building and swinging through the air. When she was directly above the blue van, maybe fifteen feet above it in the air, she calculated the right distance – and let go.

The landing was harder than she'd expected, knocking the wind out of her as she knelt on the roof of the van and pulled a small device from her pocket. It was black, sticking to the roof and blinking on a red light when she activated it. Knowing she had only seconds, and no grappling hooks left to swing out, Lena looked around for a way out which didn't involve jumping from a speeding car. It came to her in a literal bright light.

A second later, she jumped straight upwards, the van speeding off from beneath her as her hands hooked around a low streetlamp.

Dangling for a few moments, she waited – then the van blew up. It skidded to a halt maybe twenty feet away from her as she jumped down easily, only limping slightly from her landing on top of the van. She started to walk towards the smoking van, hearing Roy and Wally chase her with excited whispers; by the time she got to the blue van, doors just opening as a few stray drug dealers staggered out, they were walking in synch.

"Would you like to do the honours?" she asked, tiling to Roy.

"Of course, you had all the fun before," he replied with a suave smile. He drew his bow and cornered the thugs one by one; shooting a man in the leg as Wally zipped around a pair of them, rope in hand, so that by the time he was done they were bundled up like a parcel. The last man ran at Lena, but all she did was step aside and stick her foot out; as the man tripped over it, Roy was waiting, delivering a strong punch to the face. A team.

They high-fived as they cuffed the men ready for the police, altogether pleased with their work, although the girl's leg still twinged when she put her direct weight on it. The injury might take a day, two at most, to return to normal; so she considered it worth it.

"Next time you do that, give me some warning," Roy told her sternly as they stood in the middle of the empty road. By now, the residents in the streets must have called the police, so it was probably time for them to go. They'd made it to the corner, much darker and more secluded than the rest of the street, when a familiar van screeched to a halt in front of them, doors flying open.

"What happened?" Oliver demanded, jumping out and assessing them all quickly.

"We dealt with it," Roy said happily back. Oliver didn't look convinced, sweeping a second look over them before landing on Lena with a frown.

He said sarcastically to counter the claim, "she's bleeding."

Looking down at her leg to find this was true - a flying shard of glass impaling her at some point, the girl frowned and waved him off casually. "Details . . ."

"We should get out of here," Diggle reminded them from the front seat. They all seemed to come to their senses and moved towards the doors again, ready to collapse, and for a long sleep. It was expected by this point that Barry and Wally would be staying over, but where was always a question, as they usually stayed individually. None of them really cared as long as there was a warm bed to sleep in for the next twelve hours at least. But they hadn't even made it back inside when a voice spoke from the shadows behind them.

"Actually, I was hoping to speak with you before you left."

The voice was lower than sounded possible, gravelly and unusual, a distinct tone hard to forget. The man attached to it, however, was even more interesting, as Batman himself stepped from the shadows, seeming to materialise from thin air before a green light lit up his dark cowl and cape, emitted by a second man hovering at his side, glowing green. Two more figures stood there and could be seen now – Superman, Metropolis' hero, and a lady in little but very patriotic clothing. It was one of the oddest sights any of them had ever seen, but while Barry almost laughed at this, Oliver and Lena reacted very differently- by pulling arrows and aiming them at the new arrivals chests and ensuring that their hoods were pulled far enough down their faces to hide them.

"I assure you, there will be no need for that," Superman said politely at their sudden defectiveness, taking a step forwards and opening his hands peacefully. He sure stood out in his bright red and blue outfit, but then again, they all did. "We're here to speak of peace, there's no need to arm yourselves. We seek an alliance."

Although Oliver dropped his bow a little at that, still keeping it in his hands, Lena didn't move a muscle, her arrow aimed directly at the big Bat. She smirked at the words, "then why's the caped crusader here palming one of those bat-knives?"

"Batman," Superman said warningly, looking over to realise the smaller one with the arrows was right. At his tone, Batman reluctantly put his batarang away, impressed the kid had noticed it. He was starting to doubt this was a good idea: they had planned to recruit the Flash and the Arrow to their cause, an idea of joining up heroes for a greater good – but looking around at the abundance of kids on the scene, he felt less certain. He hadn't even let Nightwing or Robin come with him, or be a part of their team. Once his weapon was away, the second archer dropped her stance, and Superman went on. "I realize this isn't a good time, and we don't plan to take up much of yours. We're hoping to form an alliance – sort of like a team – between Earth's heroes, should we ever be needed to defend the planet, and we were hoping you might spare us a few hours tomorrow to discuss it."

"I er, I'm not sure that's us," Oliver said doubtfully, putting his bow away. "We're little-leaguers, not big-shots like you."

"You're the best archer I have ever seen, in many years of fighting," said the woman, talking a step forwards before introducing herself. "I am Diana of Themyscira, but your people know me as Wonder Woman. You have skills we think will suit our team – we need an archer."

"Got room for any more ladies?" Sara asked, walking forwards and eyeing Diana curiously, "I'm noticing a divide on your team."

To her surprise, the other lady laughed heartily. "Her, I like. We want Arrow and-"

"Ta-er al-Asfer" answered Batman, stepping forwards and staring at Sara with a strange intensity. He was the reason she had stayed back so far – in the League of Assassins, they had known and heard of one another. She knew exactly who he was, even behind the mask; and last he heard, she was still with the league. He faced her alone, his equal in a pack of vigilantes and tilted his head. "I take it you've had a career change."

"I'm just doing what you did," Sara replied evenly, resting one of her fighting poles on her shoulder. If it came down to it, Bruce probably had her in straight combat, so she was uneasy, "looking for redemption. I'm trying a new way."

"You work with the Arrow? They let you get away?"

"Of course not. But I bargained for my freedom with Nyssa and she-"

"Loves you," Batman finished resignedly. That was one thing he knew. But could he trust the love of Nyssa Al Ghul? He had seen the Canary kill. But then again, they were the same in every way. He couldn't judge – but he couldn't trust completely, either. Nodding, he looked up, and Sara could see the recognition that he was letting it slide in his eyes. "Do you still go by that name?"

"Black Canary," Sara supplied.

Breaking the tension, Woman Woman went back to her original sentence, "We'd like you to meet us here tomorrow, if you wish to hear more."

"We actually, sort of had plans for tomorrow," Oliver said guiltily. Big plans, in fact. It was a day he and Felicity and the team had been planning for at least a moth - a day off for all of them.

"It doesn't matter," Lena said. She noticed his reluctance to break their plans and turned sideways to him, nodding as she waved her hand. It was trivial, but what Batman had to offer might be important to all of them; it mattered more. "Really, this could be . . . well, you know. I think it's worth hearing them out."

"But what about our plans? We were going to go to Coast City."

"We can go another time," she shrugged. "It's fine."

"Alright, I'll talk to my team, but we're probably in," Oliver said, turning back to the tirade of heroes waiting for their answers. He put his hands in his pockets and tried to act casual, but it was cool to interact with such big names. Because seriously, who else could say _Superman_ wanted a meeting with them? This was more than awesome.

"And what about the rest of us?" Roy hissed to him. He took a few steps towards Oliver, still eyeing the other heroes with a mixture of mistrust and awe. He and Wally had joked about wanting to meet the heroes they heard about on the news in other cities, but they'd never expected it to actually happen. "I'm coming too."

"We understand that there are complications, and I too have sidekicks to consider," Batman said carefully, still having not moved. It was kind of creepy. "So they too will meet tomorrow – your Kid Flash, Red Arrow and-" he looked at Lena, who had managed to stay out of the news so far so was unidentified, and she shrugged.

"Sorry – no name," she said apologetically.

"Right, well you can come too – and meet Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, my apprentices. My friend here," Batman indicated the green man, who had only floated and smirked so far, "is going to fill them in on our plans while the rest of us discuss it elsewhere. You'll know everything we do."

"And who's this?" Oliver demanded, glaring at the green figure. To his surprise, Lena, Roy and Wally erupted in laughter.

"He's cool," Barry said, waving to the green man, who grinned back. When the others all turned to him with looks ranging from shock to confusion to anger, he shrugged. "We met a while back, GL's one of the good guys. But I've already signed up for this, so I'll be going with him and the kids, too."

"And you didn't think to mention this?" Oliver asked, edge to his voice.

"And miss this joyous little meeting?"

"You're an ass, Flash," Lena scowled, not believing Barry of all people kept something so important form her. Oliver she could understand, but _her_? She thought they were better friends than that. Because really, she spent at least two days a week at the house Barry and Iris had moved into a month ago, this time in the centre of the city, and was basically a semi-permanent fixture in their lives. So when cool shit like this happened, she expected to be informed immediately. He had introduced her to Hal, but had conveniently left out the other heroes whenever they had talked. She'd had no idea this was coming. But she rolled her eyes, looking up at GL with a grin, "hey, Glowstick."

"Nice work there, darlin'," Hal praised, "didn't know you were such a thrill seeker."

"Yes you did."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Felicity interrupted, frowning. "How?"

"Actually, you guys know him too," Lena smirked, as the Lantern dropped his mask for a moment to reveal his identity, smiling at them. "You remember Hal?"

"I don't believe it," Oliver said in a low tone, turning to both her and Roy, "you've known him for months!"

"Longer," Lena smiled sweetly. "Aw, don't be sore, GA. We do have other friends."

"Enough," Superman silenced them all. He looked at them imploringly, and it was easy to trust him. He just radiated predictable good-willing heroism with his cape and tidy dark hair. "Will you come?"

"We'll be there" Oliver confirmed. He nodded to them once before they started to move, Wally and Barry following Sara into the back of the van but standing, eyes still on the new people. It was hard to look away; in a formation like that, the four heroes looked terrifying, and it was easy to see why a team-up with them might be beneficial.

Roy however, could not resist it. Turning once more, he said loudly, "I'm no sidekick."

Then he got into the van, Lena giving him a patronising look as she followed him and sniggering at his male need to be seen as strong. She didn't give a shit what the other heroes thought of her – she knew she was capable. Oliver got in last, pulling the door to before they sped off. There was a silence in the back of the van for a whole thirty seconds before Wally opened his mouth and said loudly: "Oh. My. God."

And that pretty much summed up all of their thoughts.

* * *

**A/N: **_so__ooooooooooooooo the Justice League finally comes into pay, like I've been promising for ages. There's going to be a hell of a lot of new characters as a result, which is going to be difficult to manage so I sincerely apologise if you find any of them OOC. Thanks if you're continuing this story from the first part, I hope to see some familiar names in the reviews! And hello to any new readers. I've decided to finish this fic before moving onto any new projects, as hopefully I can do it in quite a quick turn around because it's summer. As usual, you're all lovely people and should let me know what you thought! :)_


	2. Stamp of approval

**Disclaimer: I am bad at remembering to write disclaimers. All rights belong to DC, the CW and Arrow. I only use the characters for my own enjoyment, and hopefully the enjoyment of others. **

* * *

**'Stamp of approval'**

Barry got an earful when they got back to the Foundry. Both Lena and Oliver were furious at him for keeping his friendship with the other heroes from them, but for different reasons.

"I can't believe you kept something like this from us!" Oliver ranted, berating the younger man for a steady five minutes. "You don't go behind my back like this again, understand?"

"I mean seriously? Not telling _me_? Are you fucking kidding me?" Lena said, eyebrows jumping up and down as she waved her hands about.

Oliver went on, "It's downright irresponsible to hide things from your allies. As soon as they got into contact, I should have been told! And especially when you started discussing making alliances with freaking Batman-"

"So what's Supes' gig anyway? Because I am so not forgiving you but the dude can fly and it's kinda cool-"

"-and right now I'm considering not going tomorrow! Since you kept things to yourself I have no idea what these people are like, let alone if we can trust them!" Oliver shouted again. Throughout all of it, the two people doing the shouting were facing Barry, who leaned against the table the computer stood on while looking at his feet to hide a smirk. After this Oliver turned to the girl next to him with a frustrated exhale, "can you be serious for five minutes? In fact, you should go home."

"Wally, you go stay with Lena and Roy tonight," Barry added to that, glancing over at his nephew. He rubbed his eyes and communicated wordlessly the importance of tomorrow in the grand scheme of things, which Wally already had an idea of. "You three need to get here for about eight tomorrow, okay?"

"Great," Lena added sarcastically, "slumber party at Roy's place. Wait, did you know about the Super-Buddies too, Kid?"

"I really wish you'd stop calling me "Kid"," Wally answered to that, and an argument about how he was the baby of the group and that Roy and Lena thought of themselves as his older siblings broke out as their voices drifted out of earshot. Barry almost laughed at that, knowing the nickname was the reason Wally was called 'Kid Flash', and that there was no way in hell they'd ever stop calling him Kid.

* * *

The next day, Oliver dressed in his gear slowly. In the end, they'd all gone home late after he had finished getting Barry to spill everything he already knew about the heroes who had approached them, which the other man was only too happy to oblige to – total trust was the only way their team was going to work. If they couldn't trust each other, fighting together would be a bloodbath. He suspected that as soon as they'd got Oliver on board, the league would reveal themselves entirely to one another, so the scraps of information he had now was nothing.

Pulling the straps and zips on his hooded jacket tight and attaching his quiver to his back carefully, Oliver loaded it with arrows trick and normal, just in case. As he pulled on his mask, a hand joined his own, pulling it on properly before he turned to see Felicity standing behind him, smile on her face.

"There," she smiled, pulling his hood up too, "you'll be a knockout. Well, hopefully you won't end up knocking anyone out, because these guys having our backs could probably be the best thing ever to happen – but you know what I mean. You look sharp."

He smiled at that, huffing out a laugh. Oliver had slept little; he felt his stomach jitter for the first time in years. These guys were big shots, meta humans and aliens – this was way out of his comfort zone. Sure, he was used to mirikuru pumped soldiers, but Superman could fry him with his _eyes_ – it was insane. He knew this could be beneficial way beyond any effects that it had on their lives, however. If they wanted to have secret meetings and his help everyone once in a while, that would be worth it to know that if he ever faced something he couldn't beat, they had his back, too. Security in other people was something had only ever found in his small team. This was so much bigger and so much greater than that, and he was worried.

"Nervous?" Felicity asked, voicing his thoughts with a knowing tilt of her head. She always knew what was bugging him. When he said nothing but rubbed the side of his chin anxiously, shifting his weight between his feet, she rolled her eyes and leaned up to kiss him. It was her way of wishing him luck. When she pulled away, his eyes were closed and his heartbeat had slowed; as he finally glanced back down at her, eyes flicking across her, she grinned. "Don't be. You've got this. They are going to love you almost as much as I do."

"I don't care what they think of me," Oliver said, then backtracked on her words, turning from where he'd looked away back at her. Lips flicking into an infuriating smile, he leaned closer to her again and blinked, "what? Did you just say you loved me?"

"No! No, I just – I mean I-" Felicity stuttered, not realizing the words as she had said them. It was true, of course it was and they both knew it - they had just been careful not to say it so far. Now it was out there, free, and she panicked. "Shut up, I-"

"I love you, too," Oliver said to her surprise, still grinning. Damn him. When he leaned his forehead onto hers, all smiles and aftershave musk and the brush of his stubble, she couldn't resist when he pulled their lips together once more.

* * *

He met the rest of the super-friends for the second time on that same corner, alone. Waiting until he saw first Superman fly in, then Batman in a small plane which Wonder Woman stepped out of, the Green Lantern arriving last and flying in over his head before standing with the others. They waited on the corner, very conspicuously, which made Oliver crack a grin as he turned to Sara, standing beside him on the rooftop overlooking it all.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Sure," she shrugged, nonplussed, "are the others?"

"Ready, Felicity?" Oliver asked through the comms, hearing a click before Felicity's voice filtered through. It was clear as a bell and chipped, excited. He had a feeling she was looking forward to trying to hack Batman's systems. It was downright adorable.

"Oh, yes," Felicity grinned. She noticed how he never even doubted that she could do it and felt her heart glow with pride. She tapped the keys a little apprehensively, his own confidence in her steeling her nerves. She got this. Plus, if this went well, she could boast about beating Batman – there was no way she was missing this opportunity. "I've got trackers on both of you so we know where you are, and a bug in your quiver which lets me hack into the system of wherever you are and have a look around. If this is a trick, or they're hiding anything – I'll know. From what is known about the Big Bat, he's pretty good with computers, though."

"You're better," Oliver smiled, and although he couldn't see her, he knew exactly what her face would look like right then, eyes crinkling just a little as her lips curved up. "I know it. Good luck."

"You too."

Felicity clicked off, already working on safeguarding her own bugs on her friends. She didn't want them to be detected, and although she was fairly sure they were untraceable and wouldn't even leave the slightest sign the systems had been messed with, it never hurt to be sure. It still worried her that maybe his systems would be too hard for her to break into, and if Oliver would be disappointed with her if she failed; but she forced all thoughts along those lines aside. She could do this. They all believed in her. And there was nothing she hadn't been able to eventually figure out yet.

* * *

Oliver and Sara were in the Batplane. A bat-plane, seriously. It was more than insane and Oliver was trying to stifle his laughter at the absurdity of it, the giant black bat driving the giant black plane, completely colour coded specifically to him. It would have been imposing if it wasn't so funny.

"Is something funny?" came a gruff voice, and Oliver looked up to see the Bat himself glaring at him from the pilot's seat.

"No, just – cool ride, man," Oliver replied without sniggering. Much. "Where are we going?"

"The base we have built as a centre of operations for us."

"A base? Really?" Oliver asked dryly, before realizing just how sarcastic and disinterested he probably sounded. It was just absurd – a group of superheroes being super-friends in a super secret clubhouse? Lame. But he amended the mistake quickly, not wanting to piss off anyone; he leaned forward in the seat he was in and asked curiously, "How long have you all known each other then?"

"We've been discussing creating an alliance between Earth's heroes for a few months. I met Superman on a misson, then Batman, who met Green Lanter who knew Flash, who recommended you," Wonder Woman supplied.

The seats in the plane were set out individually, like they were designed specifically for a team, and the Amazonian, as she had been telling them on the journey so far, was sitting on his left. After exchanging a few stories about who they are and what they do, Oliver felt he had a decent gage on the people in the plane, except for Batman, who had remained stoically silent.

Woman Woman was stern but goodhearted, fair in her own way and very much like Sara; Superman was the embodiment of goodness and sunshine, and as long as he didn't do anything too reckless in front of him, Oliver felt they would get along fine. The other man in the ship was short but built thickly with muscles and dressed in bright orange, and had introduced himself for the first time this morning as Aquaman, apologising for not being available last night. Aquaman himself seemed much more chatty, but spoke with a sense of greatness and honour, quickly changing to 'Arthur Curry' and seeing no problem with revealing his true name so quickly.

The Green Lantern had only said hello before waiting with Barry for the kids this morning, but had seemed a little too cheerful, although Barry had personally vouched for him. Apparently they'd met a while ago, and the speedster had guaranteed that when they got to spend some time together, Green Lantern and Oliver would get along. It was something Barry dreaded in fact, thinking about what trouble Oliver and Hal could possibly get into.

Batman alone remained a mystery; the unknown variable in this experiment. He sat silently as they spoke, but was definitely listening as Oliver told them what he could about himself, telling them about his archery and mission to save the city without revealing his civilian identity. It was something the Bat would definitely want to know, but it was a step too far as this stage in the negotiations. Batman had spoken privately with Sara when they had first met up that morning, the two agreeing not to tell each other's identities until things were settled.

"What made you ask us?" Oliver eventually asked. It was something he'd been wondering, actually. They were aliens and meta-humans, what did they want with an archer?

"We heard of the Starling City Arrow," Superman laughed easily. He had done a report on him, in fact. "You do good work, especially with Malcolm Merlyn last year. He's no easy take down. Plus, The Flash really spoke out in your favour."

Oliver smiled at that, and made a mental note to thank Barry later. "Thank you, I guess. You guys are the big-shots, though. I mean, I've seen you on the news, and you've done some amazing things yourself. That thing with those alien freaks in Metropolis? That was hardcore."

"Technically, I'm an alien too, you know," Superman pointed out politely, looking embarrassed.

Oliver waved his hands, seeing the mistake in his words. He always seemed to speak before he spoke, and this was almost as bad as Felicity's babbling; he swore she was rubbing off on him. "No, I didn't mean-" he jabbered, "I'm sorry, it's just – well, you are an honorary human. You live here, and you fight for us, which is enough. It doesn't matter what you were born, or where – what makes you human is what you fight for."

For a brief moment,  
he panicked, thinking the big guy was going to cry. Superman looked so moved by the worlds, careless and ill-thought out as they were, but in the end, the alien nodded. "Right . . . thank you. And it's Kal-El."

"Bless you," Oliver smirked.

"No, my name . . . it's Kal-El. Or Clark. I'd like you to call me that from now on; 'Superman' sounds too impersonal."

"And you can both call me Diana," Wonder Woman smiled at him and Sara. "If we're going to be a team, we need to start trusting one another. I understand it would be careless of you to be too open with us at this point, before we have even showed you the extent of our intentions, but I hope that by the end of the day, you will consider us allies."

"Well in that case, I'm Sara," the Black Canary supplied, earning her a sharp look from Oliver. Never one to be deterred, she only smiled sweetly in response, shrugging, "what? It's only my first name, there are plenty of Sara's in Starling."

Before he had replied to that, Batman spoke up from the pilot's seat. "We're here."

* * *

Five hours later, Oliver is sold on the idea of teaming up with these guys. They started by giving him and Sara a tour of their base, which was hidden inside a mountain. Awesome.

He'd also been introduced to the last member of the team so far, another alien, this time the 'Martian Manhunter'. Although the alien looked green and odd, speaking telepathically which had really bothered Sara at first, he was respectful and surprisingly . . . human. Maybe something about the telepathy helped him to understand people better, Oliver reasoned. He still wasn't sure about him, but decided to give him a chance; after all, they were all on the same side.

They'd ended up retreating to one of the meeting rooms inside, where Superman and Batman had taken the lead in outlining what joining their alliance would mean: helping out other heroes in need, Earth-wide crisis' call to arms, patrols and covering other cities should someone find themselves in trouble . . . all in all, it was a great deal all around. And they turned out to be alright, really, if a little stiff. Still, as long as they were helping them instead of fighting them, he couldn't complain . . .

"So are you going to keep calling it 'the alliance'?" he asked. He was almost decided, waiting to call in Felicity and Diggle and introduce them before revealing himself in the interest of trust and co-operation, but this was the one part of the plan he didn't like. Oliver scoffed, "or like, the super-friends? The heroes association? The mega-buddies?"

"Amusing," Diana said, just the tad of disapproval in her voice making him instantly regret his words, "and no, we were thinking of taking a name when we go public."

"What name?"

"The Justice League" Batman answered, speaking up loudly. It sounded impressive in his voice and Oliver's lips quirked upwards.

"It could work," he admitted, then decided it was time to check in with the others, "may I use the bathroom?"

"Third door on the right."

Once he was out of sight and earshot, sliding into the bathroom to lean on the sink, checking his hood was still up and his face unseen in the mirror, Oliver put a hand to his ear. Felicity had spoken to him a handful of times so far, giving him updates to her progress on hacking into the security of the mountain, checking there were no dirty little secrets the 'League' were hiding from them, but the last time they had spoke, she was barely in. This time, when he said her name quietly, she responded with much more enthusiasm.

"I got in!" Felicity squeaked joyously, "well, like an hour ago, but it doesn't matter . . . they're clean, Oliver. Nothing shady, nothing odd, very very good security – which is good if you're on their side, and will be even better when I improve it – I think they're the genuine article."

"So we trust them?" he asked, swinging as he spoke to her and adding bluntly, "Barry certainly seems to. Apparently he said some things about me which got their attention in the first place – do you think he has a little crush?"

"Nope, we went over that one before," Felicity laughed. "He looks up to you. And yes, we trust them."

"Diggle?"

"I agree," John confirmed, from where he listened in from beside Felicity. He'd seen all the files too, and this alliance looked squeaky clean. "Maybe good things just happen, after all . . ."

"Okay," Oliver nodded, "I'm going to tell them about you, and I'd like you to meet them soon as well. I might wear the Hood, but I wouldn't be anything without the two of you."

"Stop it, you'll make me blush," Diggle responded dryly. "Go on, your new best buddies will be waiting."

"Jealous?"

"Very, Sir," Diggle laughed back. He was ready, leaning on the chair with a grin. He was a soldier first and always, so he knew the importance of allies, especially in a war this size. It was all about the bigger picture. And this, meeting up with some of the biggest heroes of the planet to defend it, was definitely as big as the picture got. He was always ready to stand beside Oliver and fight for Starling, but what was happening today was so much bigger than that – it was worldwide; a chance for them to protect more than a city. It was the world. It was monumental. And they were a team; it was his fight too, and he had the chance to be a part of something phenomenal. He was ready for a challenge again.

* * *

"Okay, so the jigs up – I've been lying to you all," Oliver announced as he walked back into the meeting room. He was surprisingly cheery about his confession, despite the filthy looks and murmurs it created, clapping his hands together as he came to a stop at the head of the room. "I wasn't sure if I could trust you when we came here today, so a select team of my own has been working on breaking into your servers and checking for anything fishy, but you passed! We found nothing, and I'd like to accept your offer – but you need to meet my team, too. I'm sorry."

"Impossible," Batman shouted indignantly, getting to his feet as he slammed a palm to the table. "The security here is impenetrable!"

"Apparently not," Oliver shrugged. He couldn't stop the grin of pride growing on his face, "you don't know my hacker."

"I'd like to meet them, in that case," Batman barked, "it shouldn't be possible."

"And you seem awfully comfortable with betraying us," Aquaman said coldly.

"I've said I'm sorry."

"He is genuine," the Martian Manhunter spoke up, feeling the Green Arrow's emotions in a wave of energy he couldn't describe. "I think, perhaps, we should forgive him. It is human nature to be untrusting, and given the circumstances all heroes face in having to hide their identities, such measures are understandable."

"Yes," Oliver nodded enthusiastically, pointing to him, "yes, agree with my man the Martian. Please. Let me introduce you to my team; we'll go back to Starling and we can talk."

"No need," Batman said, voice gravelly but with a hint of amusement. "Did we fill you in on our zeta tube technologies?"

* * *

When Felicity and Diggle materialised in a long, metal tube carved into the wall of Mount Justice, it was quite an astonishing moment for everyone involved. There was a lot of light and technological babble nobody but Batman really understood, but assured them it was safe and tested, and suddenly Oliver and Sara's two friends were standing in the centre of the tube, looking vaguely terrified and blinking around at them, Felicity clutching one of her tablets to her chest protectively. She looked a little panicked, the experience disorientating, before her eyes fell onto Oliver, and she smiled.

"Er . . . Hi?"

Oliver grinned in turn at her awkward wave and greeting, stepping forward to offer her his hand out of the tube, allowing her and Diggle to stand in the midst of all the heroes and just look like people; they didn't need elaborate costumes or status to be special, they just were. He stood between them, Sara drifting in their direction and standing beside Diggle, sharing a smile with him. Once they were assembled, Oliver turned back to the rest of the League with a smile, putting down his hood as he did so. Then, slowly, he removed his mask and smiled.

"My name is Oliver Queen, and this is _our_ team. You've met Sara, but this is John Diggle and Felicity Smoak," he nodded to his friends beside him, positively beaming. "Without them, there would be no Arrow. They have saved my life more times than I can count. We're a team, and a good one, and I am so incredibly happy and proud for you to meet them."

A few introductions were made, briefly and slightly awkwardly, Diggle flinching badly the first time the Martian Manhunter had spoken in their heads. Oliver winced inwardly at that, cursing himself for forgetting to give his friend a heads up – war made men jumpy, something Diggle never quite lost. It did not go unnoticed either.

"Where did you serve?" Superman asked after the moment, eyeing Diggle with a curious respect. It wasn't alienating at all, but a shared look between soldiers; people who had seen real war.

"Special forces – served in Afghanistan," Diggle nodded back. It was odd for him to be looked at with such respect nowadays; since he'd got back from the war, people either avoided the subject or were too sympathetic, treating him like he was useless or invalid because he was back. Superman however was looking at him with a revered respect, like an equal, and it was appreciated a lot.

Soon after, Diggle, Wonder Woman and Superman were engaged in a vivid conversation about the army, fighting styles and the general state the world was in. Although they all started off together, Oliver ended up moving to one side with Felicity to fill her more thoroughly in on the situation at hand. He was relieved, she could tell, and this was a good thing. But before they could get into it too much, a dark figure appeared at their side.

"I assume this is your . . . technical help," Batman said coolly, glancing over Felicity appraisingly. She was dressed as she always was, in a dress and a long coat, with her tablet and glasses crooked from the zeta. After a look, he turned back to them.

"This is Felicity," Oliver said proudly, "and yes, she's the one who hacked your system."

"It's quite a system too, Mr. Batman, sir," Felicity spluttered out, pushing her glasses straight out of habit. "I mean, what sort of processors do you have working on constantly rewriting the mainframe? They kept bouncing me around; it took me hours to get past it!"

"But you still managed it, something I thought impossible," Batman replied evenly, although Oliver could sense there was a slight shift in his voice, leaning towards being impressed. He was so proud. "I'd like to know how, if that's alright? Maybe I could go show you the main computer systems upstairs? I was hoping that since you managed to break through it, you could also help me to rebuild it stronger."

Felicity looked startled for a moment at the other hero actually being interested in her opinion. The validation was much appreciated, but she looked uncertainly to Oliver, who nodded encouragingly, before turning back to the Batman, "Lead the way, Bats."

"It's Bruce," Batman replied, almost smiling as he met Oliver's eyes again. "If we're all being honest – it's Bruce."

Oliver laughed, "Bruce, huh? That's terrifying, all of Gotham running scared . . . of Bruce."

Batman only lifted a cold eyebrow at that, so slowly and with so little emotion that Oliver fell silent, dropping his gaze. It was until he'd turned away that Batman smirked, Felicity following him with a click on heels a second afterwards; as they left the room, she noticed his smirk and laughed out loud, her cheer an odd sound in the mountain, usually filled with such gloom and serious discussion. It was odd, but not unwelcome.

"I haven't seen Oliver look so scared since . . . well, ever," she laughed, glancing at him, "you have to teach me how to do that."

Batman only nodded as he led her to the computer. He liked this girl, and the team downstairs were efficient and beneficially enough to earn his respect. This was a good day for the Justice League, and he had a feeling the allies they had just made could be the Leagues strongest assets one day.

Grinning wryly, he glanced over at the blonde, "I think we can arrange that."

* * *

**A/N: **_this was kinda fun to write. Justice League! yay for Justice League? sooo only a few followers from the first instalment have followed this story, did the announcement that it's up go out? next chapter - what the 'sidekicks' got up to with Hal and Barry while all this was going on. Hilarity will ensue._


	3. Field Trip

**My disclaimer got shot up with arrows, hopefully DC doesn't do the same to me! **

* * *

**'Field Trip'**

"Up!" Lena shouted, poking the lump which was Wally asleep on the couch, a tuft of red hair poking out from a pile of sheets, immediately moving to kick Roy in the side where he slept on the floor on a camp-bed. "We've got to go meet the super-buddies in like a half hour."

"Whaa-" Wally moaned, sitting up and trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He loved stopping over in Starling with them, having fallen asleep the night before after playing games with Roy for an hour, getting more and more competitive with each minute. Roy claimed her cheated by speeding up his fingers; Wally insisted on his natural talent. Lena tended to bury her face in a pillow and ignore them both.

Roy, on the other hand, jumped up like he'd been electrocuted. "Thanks for the warning! Christ, I know the two of you can get ready in three minutes flat, but some of us like to shower."

"Worried about looking your best for the sidekick posse, princess?" Lena grinned sarcastically, crashing on the couch next to Wally and offering him a poptart which he scoffed down before she could even take a bite of her own. Roy scowled back at her.

"Ha – fucking – ha," he said, pulling on his jeans and not caring about the others in the room, grabbing the clean shirt he'd collected the night before. There would be no time to shower now. He darted into the bathroom and slammed the door, the taps gushing half a second later.

"Do you ever think he's getting too uptight?" Wally asked. He leant in to talk conspiratorially to Lena as he raised his eyebrows, who grinned back with as much zest.

"Every day, Kid. every day," she admitted, "but we'll fix that."

"Got a plan?"

"Several. But not for today. Today," she got up and started pulling a brush through her hair, looking at him in the mirror, "-today we show the Batbrats and any other sidekick that they ain't got nothing on our family. We party hard, and they won't know what hit 'em."

Wally frowned, "who said anything about a party?"

"Please," Lena scoffed, grabbing her clothes out of the closet and waiting for Roy to finish in the bathroom so she could go in. "You put that many kids with powers or skills with weapons in one room, you think we won't end up killing each other in competition? Really?"

Wally had no argument for that, and pulled out the spare clothes he kept at Roy's place to change into in a blink of an eye, a skill he'd been practising. It was just a blue shirt, jeans and a plaid shirt, nothing combat equipped, but his Uncle had text him to all come in civvies, so it would do. He wondered what his Uncle and Hal had planned, and if Lena was right about it ending badly with too many hotheads in one room. Competition, huh? Well, they'd have to see him to catch him, and with Roy and Lena in their corner, all together like always, the other sidekicks didn't stand a chance.

* * *

They were late.

The speedsters had a reputation for being late, so it was expected of Wally, but when he, Roy _and_ Lena showed up twenty minutes after they were supposed to be there, the wheels of Roy's car skidding as he rammed it into the nearest space, it was an unexpected turn. They piled out in a rush, slightly red faced as they dashed to the alley where they could see a small group waiting, looking like a slightly lost group of tourists – Roy and Lena had insisted on covering their faces with large shades and hoods, knowing Oliver would want them not to reveal too much just yet, but Wally, claiming he and Barry were already cool with it, had laughed at them the entire way there. He just dressed as he always did. Roy's sunglasses were mirrored to reflect everything around him; he wore a grey jacket with the hood up and jeans.

Even Barry managed to get there before them.

He laughed when he saw them, swiping the dark black sunglasses right off Lena's face as they got to the group. He was in civvies like them, unfortunately looking more like a mild-mannered dork than the Flash now, totally not threatening at all. Barry perched the stolen glasses on his own nose, ducking the punch she threw at him in response before scooting back over to Hal and grinning at her, "Very inconspicuous."

"I can and _will _kick your ass," Lena pointed out through gritted teeth, ignoring the fact that her face was now completely exposed, the group of younger adults all peering over at their arrival curiously, crossing her arms in Barry's direction sternly. She looked different than usual today, and Barry, Wally and Roy knew why she'd made an extra effort, but were waiting until later to say something. Her hair was interestingly pinned up, sections of the back scooped up on her hair while the rest fell down her back in blonde curls; she wore dark jeans, boots and a white shirt under her comfortable brown leather jacket. It was all incredible figure-hugging and sleek, and she looked good.

"Ouuh Barry, do you let all the women in your life boss you around like this?" the man beside him laughed, the only costumed one there: the Green Lantern. He knocked Barry's shoulder as he spoke, teasing Lena like he always did. They had settled into an odd friendship of flirting and making fun of each other, to their own amusement and the annoyance of everyone else.

"Only the ones he can't beat in a fight, Glowstick" she smiled sweetly, the threat in her words evident. She had a feeling she could kick his sorry ass about too. Hell, she definitely could. The man stopped smiling quickly.

"Geez, you are in a violent mood today," he commented, smirking slightly.

"Stop it, you two. They'll think you're actually fighting," Wally told them off, nodding to the other people there. Then they turned to the other kids there – an older boy, tall as a tree, was standing with a pretty blonde girl and a younger dark haired boy, about his age; there was a second girl standing a little away from them, also blonde. They all wore dark clothing and hid their faces. Wally grinned at them widely, eyes settling on the two girl's in the crowd, "Hey, are you the other sidekicks? They should have warned us you were cute."

The girl standing in the group laughed good naturedly, but the younger boy next to her groaned. At a guess, they were the bat-kids. Nobody else had such a big group – well, except for them, but the world didn't know about that.

"I knew this was a bad idea," the smallest boy said, looking towards the older boy with a somewhat pleading tone. "Come on, we can leave now and tell the big guy it was a bust."

"No," the older boy told him sternly, "we have to try." Then, he turned back to them and extended a hand. Like them, and the other boy, glasses hid his face, a shock of messy black hair spilling out from behind them, and a physically fit body not hidden by a t-shirt and coat. He looked all three of them in the eye, friendly smile on his face, "Hi, I'm Nightwing. That's Robin and Batgirl."

Roy shook the offered hand, not smiling, but listening. "Red Arrow."

"Speedy," Lena corrected with a grin.

"Shut it," Roy snapped at her, releasing Nightwing's hand, "at least _I_ have a name."

"He's right, I don't," Lena grinned, shaking his hand next. "Um, I don't know what to say to call me."

"How about your name," Barry suggested from the sidelines. He was watching all of the exchanges carefully, on edge. He knew it was important that they all got along, if all of the superheroes were to do the same; but he knew Batman was very protective of his bunch, and he hoped Wally would be able to call other heroes friends if he ever needed help. He gave Lena a stern look, "co-operation starts with trust."

"And being a wiseass is how you end up through a wall," Lena snarked back within a second. Then she sighed, puffing her cheeks out before turning back to Nightwing with a grim smile. "Lena, my name is Lena."

"Kara Zor-El," the other blonde girl supplied, nodding calmly in their direction. There was something reserved about her, eyes flicking over them mistrustfully. "Also known as Supergirl."

"Right, Kara is it then," Lena nodded, "the other one sounds a little odd for a human. Kryptonian?"

"And nicknames are her thing," Wally added, as Kara nodded to the question. Of them all, she was the only non-human – it was a little daunting. She hadn't expected to be called out on it so early.

"We'd tell you our real names, but Batman might have forbidden it, just a little," Batgirl winced, blonde hair bouncing as her and Robin came a little bit closer in interest. Up close, they managed to work out a bit more about the other sidekicks: Nightwing looked closer to Lena's age, whereas Robin and Batgirl looked younger, closer to Wally's age, maybe fifteen or sixteen. They had a refined look the others lacked, especially Kara, who seemed too stern to be real.

"No problem, we get it," Roy laughed easily back, "gotta be careful when there's constantly people trying to kill you, right?"

"And when there is a paranoid Bat watching your every move," Robin added sarcastically, to which Lena sniggered.

"Does he ever smile?" she asked genuinely, looking between them. "Or take the suit off? Does he wear it to bed? – not in that way," Lena added, after the inappropriate splutter of laughter both Nightwing and Hal let out.

"O-kay, _children_," Barry said sternly, looking between Hal, Lena and Nightwing like he was just realising what a big mistake this was, "this day was supposed to be about you guys spending some time together so-"

"We're taking you to an outdoor rock show," Hal burst out excitedly, glowing a brighter green as he lifted a few feet off the ground. He had actually been looking forward to this. From his ring, a thin green stream of light issued, quickly forming itself into a giant green bus in the middle of the alley. "Get in."

"So out of anything you could possibly imagine . . . you picked a school bus?" Lena asked judgingly, coking her eyebrow. Out of the corner of his eye, Hal could see Barry laughing, and resisted the urge to knock the Flash on his ass.

He turned back to the girl standing, trying not to laugh, "You're starting to get on my nerves today, darlin'."

"Well then, impress me," she shook her head coyly. Seeing the challenge, and because he could never ignore a pretty face, the Green Lantern tilted his head and concentrated. The bus he had created warped and twisted into a new shape, and in a few seconds a green spaceship stood in front of them. It was giant, and very cool, a ramp extending right to their feet as they watched. Lena smirked and turned back to the Lantern, who was waiting triumphantly. "Okay - I'm impressed."

"All aboard," Hal announced after that with a grin.

* * *

"How long is this gonna be?" Robin asked after about half hour of them flying in the green ship. It had been cool at first, gliding above the clouds in the translucent ship, but it wore off quickly. Now, there was just awkward getting-to-know-you chats going on, which were too painful for him to even bother getting involved in. Nightwing, the optimist, was loving it. He talked enthusiastically to the Kid Flash, who was confident and flirty as the older bat kid, but they pretty much stayed in their cliques – Roy and Lena sat conspiratorially opposite them, occasionally talking to Flash or Green Lantern, who seemed familiar with them - Kara watched them all curiously, and he and batgirl just stuck with Nightwing.

But they all looked up at his words, turning to the Green Lantern in synch.

"Another few hours at least, so I'd settle in back there if I were you," he replied, and there was a communal groan in the plane. They all looked at each other after that – maybe they had something in common. Not many people could relate to being a superhero, after all.

Lena was the first to speak, pulling a pack of cards from her bag and expertly shuffling them, picking cards out of thin air with a skill of years of work and calling over, "hey, Kid, did I ever teach you how to play poker?"

"No!" Flash shouted from his seat flying the plane, turning around quickly. He pointed at his friend. "No. You are not teaching my nephew how to play poker!"

"Do I have to remind you of all the times you owe me?" Lena asked, making a face, "come on, Barry. I've told you, you gotta lighten up – it's just poker. It's actually a very intelligent game – mathematics and theories are the key. Please?"

"Mathematics and theories?" Barry echoed sceptically before laughing, "Bullshit."

Lena put on her best expression of hurt, holding one hand to her heart and blinking up at them innocently. It was a trick which always worked on Oliver. "Are you poking fun of the fact I'm a high school drop-out?" she asked, eyes big and round, "because that was uncalled for. I might not be able to do fancy math like you, but some of us had bigger responsibilities when we were kids, like looking out for our families."

"No, of course I wasn't, I-" Barry spluttered, but could see no way to proceed which didn't make him look like an asshole, so threw his hands up, "fine! Teach him how to play poker, whatever. Just nothing that will get him arrested – and no actual gambling!"

"You're the best," Lena smiled at him sweetly, before looking over to the others as the ship morphed to form a table in front of her with two benches, "you all in?"

"I am not sure how to play," Kara admitted a little ruefully, but followed Wally over, the Bat-clan at their heels. They all sat at the benches, finally mixing up together.

"Well that's no worry, it's easy to pick up."

"Do you have all superheroes whipped like that, or is it just Flash and GL?" Batgirl asked Lena with a wicked grin, whispering as they all sat together. She was impressed by the other girl, but then again, she was the kind of person to like anyone, regardless. "Because that was something. I wish I could do that with Batman sometimes."

Lena winked, "I'll teach you how to do that, too. But first, I want to empty all your pockets by beating your sorry asses at this. £5 minimum bet?"

"Someone's confident," Robin said, leaning forwards as the cards were dealt. "What makes you think we won't beat you?"

"Bring it, Little Bird."

"Oh, it's _on_."

"Does that make me Big Bird?" Nightwing asked, laughing at the oddity of it.

Lena only looked him up and down, biting her lip, "-we'll see."

"Knock it off!" Roy rolled his eyes at her, used to her antics. Lena might be one of the deadliest people he knew, and one of the most brooding when it suited her, but she was also one of the biggest flirts he'd ever met, something he'd only recently learnt. He was used to it, but heard Wally and the Green Lantern laughed as Nightwing blushed. He jabbed her in the ribs, "Deal the damn cards, asshat."

"You used to be more fun," she pouted at him before glancing around at the group, "you all just got promoted to my new best friends – this one seems to be getting old."

Roy snatched the cards off her and began dealing them out himself then. After a moment explaining it to Wally and Kara, as somehow even the youngest Bat already knew how to play the game, they began.

* * *

Two hours later, and Barry was really, really regretting volunteering to babysit that day. The kids were getting along, so the objective had already been achieved before they even got to the concert – but they were getting along _too well_.

The card game had gone as well as they all expected: there was a lot of shouting; too much swearing, three fistfights, and they were all friends for life. The arguments were monumental. It was lucky they all had reactions much better than the average humans, or Barry was sure someone would have been seriously hurt by now. As it was, Roy sported a split lip and Kara some bruised knuckles, while the rest had managed to either refrain from fighting or been too quick to get caught, or were just lucky. The groups had mixed better, too, all of them mingled away from the people they came with, the three girls forming an alliance to beat the boys and Roy and Kara finding common ground in their urges to punch things.

There was almost as much laughing as there was fighting, however, and it made Barry smile. He was glad they all seemed to be getting along well, telling stories from the field and generally poking fun at all of the adult mentors.

But when Hal had gone back there and hour ago to join in, it had crossed the line to downright insanity. The party looked like it wasn't stopping anytime soon, and when he looked at the dials on the green plane, he saw that they were still half an hour away from their destination. As there was another uproar behind him as Hal managed to spectacularly cheat his way to victory, Barry leant his head against the wheel and sighed. It was shaping out to be a long day.

* * *

The outdoor concert was about what Barry expected from Hal: dirty, very much a rock crowd, jumping and manic. It was hard to keep an eye on his friend, who was getting distracted every time a pretty girl walked by, and after he'd had a few drinks, Barry stopped even watching him. He focused on the kids instead, who hovered in the left of the crowd, standing more towards the back after their late arrival. They were getting on a lot better, and it was easy to see who the confident ones among them were: Nightwing, Batgirl, Lena and Wally were laughing loudly and dancing, the ones brightening up the mood, whereas Roy was untrusting, Robin held a quiet intelligence about him and seemed to be observing the rest of them, and Kara stood looking clueless. Barry was trying to get those three to become more engaged and failing so far.

After a few hours, when it was getting towards afternoon light, Lena detached herself from the group. Barry was away looking for their lost Green Lantern, who had wandered off about an hour ago and not returned, so her and Nightwing, who told her he was twenty one and therefore the oldest, had been acting as the leaders of the group. "I'm going to get a drink," she announced, stretching from the roughhousing of the crowd as she shouted above the noise, "does anyone want anything?"

"I will," Roy answered immediately.

"You won't get served," Robin scoffed. He had been minimally contributing, but watched them all intently, determined to get a read on all of them before the day was done to report back to Batman. They were odd. Roy and Kara were the same: street brawlers in their blood. Wally was a moron, always making the obvious jokes like Flash would, but he seemed genuine. And Lena was a liar. In the few hours Tim Drake had been watching them all, he was sure that she was hiding something through her joking and sarcasm. He wanted to find out what.

"I don't know," Nightwing laughed, but as he went on he seemed to regret it with every word, a deep red by the end of it. "Girls get served easier, it's a fact. They go up to the bartender and bat their eyes until they get free drinks and use their girl - their _feminine_ . . . wit."

Lena raised an eyebrow at him, unabashed, "well I was planning on just using my boobs – but you try out that 'feminine wit' and let me know how that works out for you."

With a careless wink thrown over her shoulder, she left as they all went in to fits of laughter at the other man's expense. Batgirl patted him sympathetically on his shoulder through her giggles, but nobody could stop. Nightwing looked like he'd very happily disappear in that moment.

Lena returned ten minutes later with three drinks, one of which she handed to Roy, the other to Nightwing.

"I – I never asked for one," he said, taking it all the same. His cheeks were still burning, and he found it hard to look her in the eye, ducking his dark head.

"Consider it an apology," she smiled back, sipping her own casually.

"Oh, right. Speaking of which – I got a message five minutes ago – Batman cleared these guys," Nightwing told Batgirl and Robin. "He says we can tell them our names if we want to. He's leaving the choice up to us – he must be pleased about something."

"Seriously?" Batgirl asked, looking impressed at the others, "your friends must have really impressed him, for him to trust them so easily. I'm Stephanie, by the way."

"Tim," nodded Robin politely.

"Dick," announced Nightwing, which only made Lena cackle again.

"Are you serious?" she asked, almost spitting out her drink. The guy was a walking innuendo. "Oh my, I am so sorry, man."

"For my name?"

"For the inevitable jokes I will make at your expense because of it – please, forgive me."

Dick smirked at that, "I'm used to it."

They stayed the same for a few hours, watching countless bands ranging from shitty to decent jump about on the stage. Their enthusiasm dwindled and was kindled; they laughed, danced a few times, nobody fought – it was a good kind of day. Barry and Hal showed up around the last song, the latter a little drunk and staggering. He put his arm around Lena and Dick, who he seemed to have taken a liking to most of the journey there, swaying amazingly as the two kids held him up. A familiar song was blaring, Hal was singing along loudly even to the opening guitar chords. Nobody else appeared to know the words, but danced along happily with the Lantern, humouring him.

That was until Lena joined in. She had waited until the chorus, shaking her head until the last moment when she opened her mouth and belted out the familiar tune alongside Hal. Ace of Spades. Everybody recognised it, but nobody knew the actual lyrics – it was just one of those songs you thought you knew, but didn't really. But she did.

When Hal realized someone else was joining in, he was overjoyed, turning to face her to scream the words back in her face. Lena was laughing at this point, very disappointed in herself and seeing Roy snigger behind his hands but refusing to care; she carried on singing even when Hal forgot the words. For the entire song, she sang, surrounded by new and old friends and actually, undeniably happy. There were worse ways to spend the day.

"Are you getting flashbacks to the first time they met?" Barry asked Roy discreetly, hiding a grin.

"Oh God, don't remind me."

"Why? What happened?" Wally cut in, having heard them. When they shared a look but never answered, he pouted, "'m fed up of you all having inside jokes. I'm a part of this too, now. Stop acting like I'm the child, I'm one of you."

"I'm sorry," Barry apologised, putting a hand on his now adopted son's shoulder. "We don't mean to leave you out, but if we tell you, Lena will kill us. Really. She's terrifying."

The song ended, and Hal turned to the Smoak sibling incredulously. "Darlin', you are awesome. More than. In fact, you just replaced Barry as my best buddy in the world."

"-Hey!"

"Thank you very much, Glowstick," she shook her head, still humouring him.

Then he turned back to the blonde, grinning, "hey hey hey – that should be your name! 'Ace'!"

Although he looked overjoyed at the revelation, Lena was less impressed, making a face. "Yeah – I don't think so."

"Oh, I do," Roy put in, still smirking irritably. She was going to hit him good and proper for that.

"Seconded," Wally added.

"No!" she argued back, "shut up, both of you."

"Come on, Lena. Lighten up," Barry joined forced with the rest of them, eyes glinting dangerously. She realized then that all of her teasing of Barry would be at a cost. He opened his palms towards her, grinning, "you don't get to pick your own nickname, after all."

"I am going to kill all of you," Lena threatened, getting more desperate as she shoved Hal more onto Dick, who was laughing along, to hold a finger up at them all.

"Colour me terrified, _Ace_," Roy grinned.

"Right – that's it," Lena raced towards him, but before they could start fighting, she realized the crowd around them was thinning as people began to leave. Through the bodies movies and noise, still so distracting, she also noticed the few odd people in the crowd – too forcefully dressed to fit in, some talking to unseen devices – all circling in slowly towards them. Most people wouldn't even have noticed they were being watched, but in the blink of an eye, Lena did. She was good at what she did. So instead of punching Roy, she pretended to fall onto him and met Barry's eye, instantly alert.

"We're being followed – people in the crowd circling in," she told the older hero, knowing the others would only listen to the Flash, despite her having much more experience. Barry flinched, as did everyone in ear shot, turning to look. "Don't look, damn it!" she hissed at them, standing up near Roy and forcing her face into a smile, "act normal. Come on, we're just going to calmly leave – walk, don't run."

The others followed her hissed orders, pushing each other about and laughing as they slowly made their way towards the exit. They were surprisingly good at acting. Go figure.

They made it safely out of the venue, even Hal sobering up surprisingly quickly, leading Lena to believe he was never that drunk at all. She didn't judge him for it; she understood. Sometimes it was easier to act like you didn't care or you didn't feel anything than to be present. She wondered what demons made him that way, but it was pushed to the back of her mind: as long as he was good again, and thinking, he was useful.

Lena knew they needed to find somewhere quiet so Hal could create a construct to take them away, so started leading them to the thinner areas of the crowd in the parking lot, away from people. It left them exposed to attack, but they had to escape. She thought they were home free when she noticed a small building at the edge of the parking lot, behind which they could easily disappear. She took the lead naturally, above even Barry or Hal, directing them behind the shack. It wasn't until she turned the corner that she realized she had made a mistake, freezing and hearing the others halt behind her as she stared down the barrel of a gun.

* * *

**A/N: **_dun-dun-duuunnn. cliffhanger! Sorry buddies. For the record, 'ace' is a joke name that Roy and Hal will use a few times, but in chapter 11 Lena decides on a final superhero name for herself. It sticks. Thanks for following/reviewing - especially my regulars. It means a lot that you are still excited and still leave kind words. as for the rest of you - let me know what you think! _


	4. Appreciated

**A/N**: I own nothing but a lot of love for these characters. Note: parts spoken in italics are a foreign language. This will also happen later in the story because finding translations for entire parts takes long and is usually wrong anyway. So italics are in english, but just imagine it being spoken in another language. okay I think that makes sense, lets go!

* * *

** 'Appreciated'**

It was a revolver. That was the first thing Lena noticed when the tall, pasty and generally thug-like man stepped from where he had been waiting for them, the gun now levelled at her face. She had been leading the way, so his weapon naturally gravitated to her, although he waved it about when the others stepped into his path, walking around the corner.

Seeing her in the position to be shot, they all stopped immediately, some putting their hands in the air. The man's eyes scanned the crowd, and Lena saw them stop on someone just behind her, tilting enough to see Tim standing there. The man jabbed his gun and the younger boy and uttered some barked Serbian, his interest distracted.

"_Hey asshole, why don't you point the gun at somebody your own size?_" Lena said in her own haltering Serbian, her words rusty from years since she'd last spoke it. The man had said 'come with me' to Tim when he'd waved the gun, so she acted very stupidly and moved herself between him and the younger boy. She had a feeling she wouldn't get thanked for putting herself right back in the bullets path, but she didn't really care at that moment.

"_Good_," the man replied in the foreign language, staring at her again, "_you can translate – Tim Drake– the adopted son of Bruce Wayne and any other of his children - they are to come with us. Or I shoot the rest of you, and _then_ I take them_."

"_I don't think so._"

"_Oh, I do,_" suddenly, the gun was back solely on her. The man had spoken and pushed it closer to her forehead, within arm's reach now. He was dirty and desperate, an amateur. She knew his model of revolver was likely to jam or misfire. So talking back was a natural option.

Lena cocked an eyebrow, "_eat me._"

"_I think I will just shoot you instead,_" the man said – and pulled the trigger.

Lena heard shouting behind her but tuned it out. The gun misfired; she knew it would. The man looked like he barely cared for himself, let alone his gun, and an unclean gun lead to easy misfires. She had known the odds were with her when she risked it, so was prepared when it happened. During the few seconds of confusion after the trigger was pulled; Lena moved forwards and grabbed the gun, snapping two of the man's trigger fingers before yanking the gun from his hand, slamming her free fist to his face. When he staggered backwards, she put her other fist in this throat; her foot in his knee, and was holding the gun to his head by the time he'd sunk to the floor.

"_How many?_" she demanded in Serbian, voice almost raw from the volume in which she asked, hands shaking as the barrel touched his head. She needed to know how many hostiles were in the area. When he didn't answer, she pistol whipped him once, asking again. "_How many? Who hired you?_"

"_Someone who I fear more than you,_" the man choked out, blood dripping from the side of his cracked mouth. That was, until she grabbed his arm and started twisting. Then he screamed, and broke easier than a damn in a flash flood. "_I was paid to kidnap the billionaires son! We got the money upfront, there were no names for certain._"

"_But there were whispers, right? What did they say?_"

"_Scarecrow,_" the thug growled. "_Gotham's prince is wanted by the scarecrow, to lure a Bat out of the shadows. Somebody must fund the Batman, and Mr. Wayne speaks in his support – taking his kids might just bring the Bat into the light._"

"_And_ _how many are with you?_"

"_14 men_."

"_Thanks for your help_." Lena punched him again, and this time the man did not move when he hit the ground. She sneered down at him, adding her last sentence in the foreign tongue, "_fucking amateur_."

* * *

It was nice to be appreciated.

Felicity was used to her team's attempts at letting her know she was important to them, pats on the shoulder and breathed thanks as they chased after some bad guy she'd just located. They did little gestures at the time, words on occasions when she felt down, but all in all, they sometimes forgot to let her know she was needed. That she wasn't just an IT girl.

They tried, of course they did, but she knew none of them really had a clue what she did. They saw her as the computer whizz, never understanding how difficult some of the things they asked of her were. Oliver knew archery, and she had no clue about it – but she knew computers. So to say it was refreshing to speak to people who understood what she did and still praised her for it was an understatement.

Speaking to Batman was to speak to somebody on her level, and the second person he introduced her to that day, Barbara Gordon, was a kindred spirit at first sight.

The redhead had glasses almost identical to hers and sat at the super-commuter Batman led her to, moving to shake Felicity's hand straight away. Felicity was so busy talking animatedly to her that she did not even notice Barbara's chair had wheels until they turned to work, the blonde running through the steps she had taken to hack into the mountain's security quickly; she didn't mention it, and neither did the girl, so the wheelchair elephant in the room went un-commented on. It made no difference: the Gordon girl was an amazing hacker, so getting the work done took surprisingly little time between them.

"Not that your security isn't good," Felicity added, after Barbara mentioned she had designed the original settings, "it's great. Amazing, in fact. So good I almost didn't get in."

"But you did," Barbara said, a little frown on her face that Felicity recognised. It was the one she wore all the time.

"Only by luck," Felicity replied, putting a firm hand on the younger girl's shoulder. She flashed a smile, returning to being all business, "seriously, you're servers were super-secret. Totally secret-base style. But you might not in fact want it to be secret base style, because it's kind of a giveaway that it's hiding a secret base. It's just . . . too much. By making it so obviously protected, you lose the subtly – sometimes simple methods of safeguarding your computers are the most effective."

Barbara squinted, "how do you mean?"

"Well, take this place for example – your servers, what do they run off? Private network?"

"Our own private satellite."

"Christ," Felicity let slip in shock, eyebrows rocketing to her hairline. She leaned on the back of the other woman's chair thoughtfully. "How did you swing that? What are you, billionaires?"

"Batman is."

"Of course he is," she rolled her eyes, before saying dryly, "that should give him and Oliver something to talk about."

* * *

When Lena turned back to the others, throwing the gun to the ground in disgust as she did, they were all standing in varying stages of surprise and shock. Barry stepped forward, mouth open, "you speak . . . what was that?"

"Serbian," she shrugged. Finally she opened the purse she'd been carrying all day and pulled out what looked like black plastic, but opened out to an extendable bow at the press of a button, tossing it to Roy instinctively.

"What are you doing?" Steph asked, looking between them.

"He's a better shot, at least with a bow," Lena admitted, tossing Roy the quiver of arrows to go with it and pulling out her own set of daggers. "And we're covering you. Someone called 'Scarecrow' wants Tim and you guys, so Hal is going to get you out while we cover you from the ground. Kara, you're going to go with them and protect them from the air – I don't want anything to distract Hal from his constructs. Wally, Barry – I want you to secure the perimeter and make sure no civilians get caught in the crossfire, understand? Get back to wherever your super-secret hideout is."

"I don't like this plan, we should stick together," Barry argued, looking at her and wondering when she'd taken charge.

"Sticking together wouldn't be tactical – they want Tim and anyone connected to Bruce Wayne, not us. Our focus has to be getting them clear of the scene."

"I don't need protecting!" Tim said, squaring off to her. He was already pissed off that she'd stood in front of him when the man had pulled the gun, like he needed babying. He could watch his own back perfectly fine. "We're not children; we're soldiers just like you!"

"I am _not_ a soldier," Lena snapped at him, and he suddenly shrank back. The fire in her eyes was terrifying, and Tim flinched back as if burned. "Or a god damn hero. I am just trying to keep people I care about safe. Now listen to me and _do as I say_!"

There was a silence after her words, ringing between them. Until Roy suddenly drew his bow and let an arrow fly past her head, drawing all of their attention to the new threats approaching – darkly dressed men running at them clearly now, not hiding. They were approaching fast, a siege aimed at them. Their opportunity to escape was closing.

Immediately, Hal created a construct large enough to transport the Bat-kids, himself and Supergirl. He paused for a second to look back at his friends on the ground, hovering. The other's had yet to board the ship he had created. "I really hate to leave you like this," he protested.

"We'll be fine," Roy shouted back, letting off another arrow into a man's leg before turning his shoulder back around. "Just go!"

"Here," Dick grabbed Lena's hand and pulled a pen from his pocket, scribbling a set of numbers along her palm. His hands were surprisingly steady. "These are co-ordinates to where we'll be. Just make it there safely."

She nodded back, pushing him by the shoulder towards the construct, "Got it, walking innuendo. Go protect your family, we've got this."

They all piled onto Hal's construct, but before they could get away, one of the men released a small smoke grenade. It rolled to the feet of Roy and Lena before detonating, yellow smoke emitted. It drifted up into the air too quickly for them to react, wrapping around the edges of the construct – which started to flicker and fade.

"No!" Hal roared out, putting a lot of his energy into just keeping them in the air. Yelling down to the others, face red, he shouted, "You've got to get rid of the smoke! Yellow – it's my weakness; this is gonna collapse!"

"_Yellow_ is your weakness?!" Lena shouted back, throwing one of her knives at the man who had thrown the grenade while taking out a second in a fistfight. "Are you kidding?"

"I'm not laughing!"

"Shit," she cursed, glancing over to Barry, who was littering bodies on the ground, "B – hey, can you create a cyclone? Something to vacuum out the smoke?"

"I think so," he replied, nodding apprehensively before turning to his nephew, "Kid? You want to help?"

Wally cracked his knuckles, loving the fight. He always did, the rush of adrenaline added to his age making him the perfect thrill seeker. He grinned, "Let's run."

* * *

Back at Mount Justice, things were about to get noisy. Felicity and Barbara were still talking comfortably in the central area while rewriting the software on the security systems when a shrill, loud alarm rang through the place; seconds later, the entire hoard of heroes ran to meet them.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, stopping beside Felicity's chair and looking at the flashing monitors in front of her.

"I don't know," she spluttered out, "I didn't do anything, I swear! I didn't even touch anything-"

"It's not you," Batman growled, leaning to access the computer. "Nightwing is sending out a distress signal. Nightwing: we're receiving you. Report." There was nothing but static and cracked noise in response, the transmission weak. "Nightwing – report!"

"Dick!" Barbara shouted beside them, looking more and more distressed. "Dick – answer us, please."

"We were attacked-" came shaking words from the other end, the transmission breaking up every few seconds, so they only got the odd word out of a sentence. "Scarecrow – ambush – stayed behind – getting us out-"

"You're breaking up, we can't hear you."

After a few minutes of failed attempts, the connection became much clearer, like he was out of the fray. The voice of Nightwing was shaking, but sure of the details. "Scarecrow's men attacked us, he's put a hit out on Timmy," he told them, "Hal managed to get us and Supergirl out but the others – they stayed behind to cover us. It was an ambush."

"What's your position now?" Batman asked.

"In the air. I can't – I can't see them anymore." Dick's voice cracked with worry. "There weren't too many men, but there were only four of them – and Barry and Wally were busy creating a cyclone last time we saw them. Roy and Lena were fighting all alone."

"Oliver-" Felicity said immediately, fear flashing over her face as she returned instinctively to her own team. They may be trying to create a bigger alliance, but when it came down to it, she trusted no one else to save her family.

"They'll be fine," Oliver said soothingly, putting a hand on her back. He looked just as concerned, eyes tight and on the screen, although it showed nothing but an audio line. "They know what they're doing."

"Get back here. I expect a full report on this," Batman replied gruffly to the computer, and the distress call turned off. He looked over to the Arrow and the IT girl, wondering how close they were to the younger teens in their charge. He hadn't asked too many questions aside from the basic background checks, "worried about your sidekicks?"

"Sidekick? That's my sister!" Felicity snapped hotly, scowling in a way which made him step back. She was mighty fearsome when she wanted to be. "There's got to be something we can do . . ."

Her fingers were on the keys in seconds, snapping away at a pace faster than the eye could follow. In a few moments, she pulled up footage from the nearest security cameras in the area, trying to catch a glimpse of her sister on the screens. There were limited options, and even with the camera feeds, nothing could really be seen apart from a crowd of people circled by a blur of red and yellow. It was in the corner of the screens, too far to see anything.

But in a few minutes which felt like hours, her hands frozen on the keyboard, Felicity watched the cyclone blow out, two familiar figures emerging. Barry and Wally became visible again; in the middle of the cloud they had created stood Roy and Lena – the unconscious bodies of dozens of men around them, some dotted with arrows. Felicity heard herself exhale in relief audibly – they were okay. They were okay.

"Your young heroes are quite good," Diana commented, watching the screen curiously. She wore an impressed smirk to match the comment. "They could be quite the warriors some day."

That was when the picture on the screen changed: Barry started shaking; vibrating so fast he was a blur. Wally wasn't faring much better. Roy turned suddenly, attacking Lena with a glazed look in his eyes. Although she looked confused, she held him off until she managed to knock him unconscious – but blood poured down the side of her face after Roy threw her around. Sometimes his Mirikuru was a curse.

"What's going on, Flash?" Superman demanded loudly. "Report."

"I . . . I can't stop," Barry's panicked voice came through the speaker quietly. "I- I can't think, I can't-"

"Calm down, Flash," Batman ordered. "There must have been some kind of aerosol fear serum in that smoke. You've got to calm down. We'll get there as soon as we can. We're coming."

"No, I've got to – I've got to run!"

Seconds later, a red blur left their screen, quickly followed by a yellow one. Barry and Wally were gone. This wasn't good. Luckily, Barry had the sense to drop his communicator as he left; Lena walked over to it on shaky legs and picked it up, the only one not having a severe reaction to it, or so it would seem.

"Hello?" she asked nervously.

"Lena," Felicity snatched the communicator, "are you okay?"

"I er – I don't think so, Fee. You've got to get here and help Roy, he didn't even recognise me. What's . . .?"

"Fear serum," her sister supplied, "Don't worry. We're coming for you. What happened with the others?"

"It was like Barry and Wally lost control of their powers . . . they're long gone, you won't catch 'em now. Roy was the same. It wasn't him, honest – it was the Mirikuru."

"I know, sis. Just stay where you are, we'll come right away and pick you up."

"No, I've got to go, I think," Lena shook her head. "There are people here - I could hurt them. I can't do that. I'm already seeing . . ." she trailed off, and even on the screen, they could all see her shaking now. She looked up to the camera, somehow knowing it was there, and they could see her. "Okay. I'm going now-"

"No, stay where you are!"

"I'm sorry," Lena told them, throwing the communicator away. Calmly, she pulled off her jacket and put it under Roy's head like a pillow, throwing the camera one more look before purposefully walking out of the frame.

"No," Felicity breathed, on her feet in seconds. She turned to Oliver desperately, his hands already on her arms as she felt her eyes grow hot, "what happened? Oliver, what happened?"

The security for Mount Justice buzzed, letting him know the Green Lantern had arrived. They ran in a moment later, and after a cursory glance to tell him that all of his bats were okay, Bruce turned back to the screen.

"What in hell is going on?" Hal demanded at the Bat's turned back. He and Batman barely got on at the best of times. "Why were we attacked?"

"It's not important now," Bruce replied, giving a subtle incline of his head to where the Arrow stood holding the sobbing Felicity Smoak, brushing parts of her hair out of her eyes and murmuring soothing words.

"What . . . are they okay? Is Barry alright?" Hal rephrased angrily.

"Flash is . . . compromised. They were exposed to what must be a version of Scarecrow's fear serum, it made them lose control of their powers. The serum usually induces a feeling of intense panic onto its victim before it wears off. But with the way the Flashes reacted – this one is different," Batman announced. The only people who really understood what that meant were his children, the pure, unlevelled fear it could cause and what it meant for those infected. He saw their eyes widen in shock, fear already glazing the eyes of Batgirl in particular, who was currently being hugged by Barbara, who had wheeled herself over to her family over at their arrival. They of everyone there understood. "Flash, Kid Flash and Roy Harper all have meta-human abilities which meant they should recover quickly – the speedsters metabolisms should push it out quickly, and apparently Roy heals quickly."

"What about Lena?" Steph asked, noticing the missing name. The silence answered her question.

"Damn it!" Hal shouted, visibly angry. He took his frustration out on the nearest wall. "I shouldn't have left them; this is my-"

"No one is to blame but Scarecrow," Martian Manhunter finished firmly for him.

"Then I'll kill him!"

"He's not the concern at the moment, saving our allies is," Superman said, becoming the leader they all needed. The first time they ever got together, and things had already fallen apart. It was no good sign; but from the aghast faces of the younger heroes, the plan to make them bond had worked. Unfortunately, all it served to do was make the moment hurt more. "We can get justice later, not revenge. Right now, it is time to save a life, not take one."

"Justice my ass," Sara spat bitterly, standing aside from the rest. Like Hal, she took out the fear building in her chest, so tight she couldn't breathe, on the man responsible: Scarecrow. "This is personal – he went after our own."

"Spoken like an assassin," Batman said.

"Spoken like a hypocrite," Sara countered, straightening and facing his direction with a scowl to strike fear. She didn't appreciate him acting high and mighty.

"Both of you - stop!" Diggle barked. He had put on his commanding officer voice, and people paid attention. "Look at yourselves, arguing like children while they . . ."

"They are _not _dying," Sara answered, sharp with even her friend. "Don't even say it."

"I wasn't going to."

"This is wrong. The kids shouldn't be out there, terrified, because of some dick with a lab! That's not fair. They've been through enough . . . you know Lena has enough nightmares. Roy, too."

"None of this is fair," Diggle said, more gently as he placed a hand on Sara's shoulder. "But Lena and Roy knew what they were doing. They all did. Do you really think anyone on Earth could have stopped them once they'd decided to get their friends out?"

Sara reluctantly shook her head.

"They saved us," Steph said quietly in the corner, sitting abruptly on the floor. She looked at her hands as she spoke. "Wally's just a kid . . . we shouldn't have left them behind. It was us they wanted to hurt, not them."

Dick sat beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder, and waited. It was all they had left to do.

In the corner, Felicity clung to Oliver tightly. He was the only thing keeping her from sinking to the floor at that point. She felt his hands on her face, breath brushing her cheeks as he promised it would be fine, the fear in his own eyes showing his true doubts. She was crying, and didn't care. Her little sister was hurt. Nothing else mattered; not the heroes watching her, not the black of her mascara running down her face, not even the disappointment at the ruined day. The entire world could end, and Felicity wouldn't care – not as long as Lena was safe. She couldn't lose her sister twice.

"Today wasn't supposed to end like this," Felicity said, seeing how unfair it all was.

"I know," Oliver breathed.

"What is so special about today?" Diana asked, still curious. She liked the young warriors.

Felicity looked grim as she glanced at the Amazon, voice breaking up and fading into nothing as she replied. "It's my sister's birthday."

* * *

**A/N:** _so Lena generally has shitty birthdays. I hope I explained things well enough - the yellow smoke was a new version of Scarecrow's fear serum, which caused them all to lose control of their powers, and will have further implications later on. Lena had to leave before her own power glitched and the others saw her teleporting, as its something she'd rather keep to herself at the moment. Also Barbara! Oracle babs is really important to me, and this is the start of a great friendship between her and Felicity, who could do with a few colleagues on her level. I also have plans to write another arrow fic hopefully soon ft Felicity and Ted Kord being nerdy tech loving gadget inventing best buddies. because I need that in my life. please review!_


	5. Terror

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc. CW's Arrow and DC have the rest. Fun fact: throwback to chapter five of the original story, which was called 'fear', so it fitted for chapter five of this story to be called 'terror'. **

* * *

**'Terror'**

Barry snapped out of it first. It took maybe ten minutes of running, but eventually the flashbacks subsided. He hadn't seen his mothers face for months before that – even his nightmares had stopped since he'd moved in with Iris. The last few months had been busy: wedding plans, managing his superhero life and his normal life, patrolling – he was usually out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow. Dreams didn't bother him much anymore.

But the serum brought it all back. He saw the night of his mother's murder in vivid detail, barely aware of his feet moving, as if he could outrun the wave of memories. The sea was close so he got to it quickly, running over water from then on, which was significantly gentler on his feet but a lot more tricky – if he lost momentum and fell into the water, he would not be able to run on top of it again and would have to swim to the nearest island.

This meant that despite the painful flashbacks he was getting every few seconds – the way his mother's eyes crinkled when she smiled; his dad's laugh; running home every day to find his mother waiting for him; then her dead body, pale and lifeless and not smiling; and blood, so much blood – he had to try and keep running. No matter what he saw, Barry kept his feet moving faster than the eye could see, skipping waves and somehow striding on even when he stumbled. When it suddenly stopped, his worst memory played through in flashes and snatches, he almost sank beneath a wave in relief.

Focusing on an island he could see in the distance, Barry ran until his feet touched down on sand, so soft beneath his feet that his legs gave out the moment he tried to take a few steps forwards. Running on water felt like lightning, but this felt sluggish, like quicksand. His knee's hit the and first, leaving him just enough time for him to put out his hands before he fully fell, face down on a golden beach. The sand was cool on his cheek and for a few seconds Barry allowed his eyes to flutter closed in relief, rolling over onto his back before opening them again to see the open sky – it somehow calmed him.

Panting, he just lay there for a few minutes and reminded himself to breathe. It was over. He was safe. But the fact that there was something in the world which could reduce him to feeling like a terrified eleven year old again made him furious.

The thoughts of his younger self brought someone else to mind. "Wally," Barry breathed, sitting straight up on the beach. He looked around – but there was no yellow blur beside him. He had panicked and left his adoptive son alone, probably as scared as he had been five minutes ago. "No, no, no, no, no . . ."

Barry got to his feet and ran until he found a city, needing to know where he was. He finally found people – and discovered he was in Fiji. Great. If he'd made it to the pacific, Wally could be just about anywhere by now.

Worried out of his mind and holding back a groan as his knee's still trembled, Barry tore off again.

* * *

"Maybe you should stay here," Oliver reasoned as they got ready to leave the base, moving to stand in front of his girlfriend as she walked towards the zeta tube. They had all suited up quickly, knowing it would be no easy job to find their friends and then there was the matter of taking down Scarecrow to deal with. Although Batman had argued for his independence, it had been unanimously decided that it would be the first case the League all took together since it was personal for most of them now. The big Bat kept muttering about them stepping on his city, but for the most part people ignored it, his own children arguing against him on this one and Oliver barely managing not to punch him.

It was okay for Batman, his kids were safe. Oliver's were still out there.

Now he stood in front of Felicity, who stopped still to cross her arms, one eyebrow creeping up her face. "Excuse me?"

"It's just – it doesn't sound safe. There could still be some toxic gas around and I don't want you getting exposed," Oliver stumbled through his words under her gaze, which was practically frying him. Felicity did not look impressed. He tried again, desperately, "you're skill-set is here, working the tech end. You could do more good here."

Felicity lifted her head, but she did not look delicate, she looked resolute. "Oliver, I love you. But if you don't move out of my way right now I'm going to kick you in the shin."

For a moment his mouth fell open, and he heard a snicker or two behind him. Then Oliver did as he was asked, stepping to the side as she breezed past him and charged towards the zeta tube, leaving him in her wake. It was moments like these he was reminded why he loved her. He had known there was little chance of convincing Felicity to stay while her sister was out there, but Oliver felt that he had to at least try; now he'd just have to watch out for her in the field.

As if woken from a daze, Oliver Queen shook his head and followed Felicity towards the Zeta, feeling that there was a long way to go before this day was done.

* * *

In January, Wally West had been struck by lightning. It had been something he had taken the time to plan, having looked into the Flash after clueing out that it was his Uncle Barry and had found the notes his Uncle had kept on what chemicals had triggered the change in his biology to give him the powers. Instead of confronting his family about it, he had collected the right chemicals and in that storm recreated the experiment – on himself.

Barry had been the one to find him in the garden, soaked in rain and charred by the lightning strike, red hair turned ash black. For a moment, the speedster's heart had stopped.

The next week had passed quickly and yet seemed to drag by in dread; looking back, Barry could only remember flashes of it. He remembered Iris' hand gripping tightly onto his own at the hospital. He remembered Wally's biological father, Rudy West, yelling at him for 'encouraging his son with all this science shit'. He remembered seeing Roy and Lena camped outside in the corridor whenever he left Wally's room, not leaving for the entire week and sleeping on the hospital floor. He remembered the first time he had seen a police offer talking to a doctor most of all.

It had been a shock for him and Iris when the doctor told them that evidence had been found of unhealed injuries on Wally's body from years of beating. Without his testimony, the police could question Rudy West but not detain him, and after that day neither of Wally's biological parents were allowed into the hospital.

When he had woken, Barry and Iris were the people who were there for him; the ones he had finally admitted the truth to. Rudy West had been arrested the day afterwards, and Barry and Iris had signed the adoption papers in an hour, never having to think about it – Wally was their son. When he had miraculously recovered, they had been initially terrified to discover he too was a speedster, but when Barry saw how happy his nephew was the first time they ran together, he had to reconsider. It was nice to have someone; it had all fitted like clockwork since then.

Now, Barry felt like being sick. He had been searching for his nephew across the globe for twenty minutes with no luck – and he could only imagine what memories Wally was seeing. His dad's trial was coming up, so the attack couldn't have come at a worse time.

"Hey," Barry said when he finally found him. Wally was in DC, sitting with his back against his tree in the park with tears drying on his face. When he saw his uncle, the teen started to wipe them away, but Barry knelt next to him calmly, making Wally look up at him. There was terror in the young boy's eyes, and Barry nodded, "Me too, Kid. Worst memories suck, huh?"

"Big time," Wally agreed as his uncle sat down at the same tree at his side. Barry was a cool guy, in his opinion – his uncle acted like the world didn't faze him in the slightest. But right then, Barry didn't look okay. He could guess why, "your mom?"

"Yeah," Barry breathed. He had told Wally the story of his mother's murder in the aftermath of adopting him, an attempt to show him that to have something tragic happen to you didn't make you weak. He returned, "Your dad?"

"Who else?"

"He's never going to hurt you again, Kid. I promise you that."

"His trial is in two weeks, what if they don't convict him?" Wally asked, a shake in his voice. "He'll kill me for this."

"He won't touch you! If the jury doesn't convict him – which they will – you still don't have to worry. Something will be done about it. I'll do something about it," Barry muttered darkly. He was sunshine personified as a person, but when he was angry, Barry Allen was one of the most fearsome people on Earth. Wally knew it, and was slightly reassured by it in that moment.

"We should go and find the others," the redhead realised, getting to his feet superhumanly fast. The third and fourth people he had seen after waking up from the lightning strike were Lena and Roy, and he had never, and would never, forget that. Plus, from what he had heard from his uncle, when the news broke that his father had been beating him, Lena got to his house faster than the police could and they found a bloodied Rudy West for them to arrest soon after. She returned to the hospital with bloody knuckles, and nobody ever called her out on it although they all guessed what had happened. "Whatever that stuff was, they got infected too! They might need help."

Barry smiled with pride as he got to his feet. "Right you are. Race you back there?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Flash."

* * *

"Roy? Roy, wake up! Roy!"

The voices were far away, and at first Roy Harper tried to ignore them. He was happily sleeping, blissfully unaware in the dark but yet somehow dreading returning to the light, a tug in his stomach telling him he was better off where he was. But the voices were persistent; with them came the awareness of a throbbing in his head.

Eyes creasing together, he groaned as he woke up – to see Oliver looking down on him.

Roy grumbled, "Of all the people I could have seen when I woke up, of course it would have to be you."

A grin flashed across Oliver's face at the comment, and he leaned back from his crouching position to shout over his shoulder, "told you he was alright!"

Helping the younger man up, Oliver stood more seriously as Roy looked around, obviously confused. The entire League was there – Batman looming like a hawk over the batkids as they all looked at the fallen attackers, Superman and Supergirl providing support from the sky and searching for signs of Barry or Wally; he could see Felicity's blonde hair disappearing in the distance next to what looked like Wonder Woman, and accompanied by Diggle. This had to be a dream. He frowned, "what happened? I remember fighting those guys then yellow . . . then nothing. Well, except for dreams. A nightmare, really."

"You were exposed to an aerosol version of a fear serum. It made you . . . well, go nuts, as far as we can tell."

"Fear serum?"

"About as friendly as it sounds," Oliver replied dryly. "You started seeing things and attacking, so Lena put you temporarily down. She, Barry and Wally bailed just after."

"What are they all doing here?"

"Trying to figure out Scarecrow's intentions and find the others. The damage two scared speedsters could do is monumental."

"Right," Roy nodded, trying to process all of the information, "Are there any lasting effects?"

"Batman said there shouldn't be for you – it has less potency on meta-humans than it does on everyone else." Oliver gave the information, then looked over at his friend and frowned. Re-living bad memories sounded terrible to him, so worry crept up quickly and he couldn't help but ask, "Are you okay?"

"I'm pissed," Roy answered, putting on a tough facade the other man saw right through. "You don't have to worry about me, Oliver."

"I worry about all of you."

Before Roy could respond to the comment, made so seriously but so off-headedly, two blurs appeared in the parking lot, skidding to a halt before them. Barry and Wally were barely still before people rushed towards them, Hal mobbing his best friend and the kid he thought to be his nephew while Batman asked several techy questions Barry didn't even have the energy to understand.

"Whoa," Barry said, holding up his hands. He spotted Roy standing a little more respectfully away with Oliver, but he could not spot Lena there. He looked imploringly at Clark Kent, knowing he was the most reasonable, and went on, "it's just us. We're good. But please, being forced to relive your worst nightmare is a little frazzling, one at a time."

"Are you alright?" Hal demanded instantly.

"We're fine, Uncle Hal," Wally reassured him, speaking up. "It didn't last long."

"Are you feeling any leftover effects?" Batman snapped, and both speedsters shook their heads. "And it was just the one memory? You're not seeing anything now?"

"Well aside from a human-sized bat and a collection of brightly dressed heroes, nothing out of the ordinary," Barry deadpanned, receiving a sharp look for it. He didn't care. The day had been too bad to deal with Bats being irritating. "And yeah, it was just the one memory."

Batman turned to Roy, "Same for you?"

"Yep."

"That's odd. The serum usually induces a feeling of fear for extended periods of time depending on exposure – this is new. It must be a new strain which somehow attacks memory."

"We will work all that out, I promise you," Barry said, meeting all of their nervous faces with his own weariness. "But right now I could use a cup of coffee. Let's get back to the base and go over what we know."

"I'm not leaving without my sister," Felicity argued, shaking her head. A few people even murmured in agreement. "She's out there too, and we don't know what this serum will do to a normal human. She might need help."

"When has she ever needed help?" Barry asked, putting an arm around her sportingly and receiving a nod from Oliver saying it was the right thing to do. He spoke soothingly, "Lena's a big girl and she can look after herself. She'll snap out of it like the rest of us did. And besides," he added, "she's long gone by now. You know we won't be able to find her unless she wants to be found."

In the end, they all agreed to go back to Mount Justice, where Aquaman and Martian Manhunter had already started working on contacting another potential member of their team – Cyborg. They had wanted to give it a few weeks before another recruitment drive, but they needed someone with a lot more computer power than they already had to solve this, and the half-robot hero was the logical answer. He was there when they arrived; Felicity and Barbara stuck to him like glue as they began to work together to track down Scarecrow.

* * *

Five hours later, Lena Smoak strode into the middle of the Justice League headquarters like it was nothing.

"Hey," she greeted, walking towards all of their backs, which were turned towards a very large computer screen, "whatcha all looking at?"

The effect was instantaneous. About twenty heads all snapped towards her in synch, as well as a collective jump rattling through some members of the huddle, like an ill-rehearsed Mexican wave.

"Are you serious?!" Hal recovered first to shout. "You just vanish and come back with 'hey'?"

"I could go back out and try again, if you'd like," she replied snappily, holding up her hands. "Look, I'm sorry. I freak out and bailed, panicked for a little bit, got over it and now I'm back."

Felicity detached herself from the group as soon as she had her wits about her, flying at her younger sibling and enveloping her in a hug. "Are you alright? How are you feeling?"

"I'm peachy."

"Sure you are," Felicity replied doubtfully. Although she had allowed it for the first few seconds, Lena was now trying to wriggle out of the hug, which only made her sister squeeze tighter. Felicity managed a small smile, "oh no, you worry me like that – you pay the price in hugs."

Lena chuckled. "God, Fee, you're ruining my reputation here. I wanted to look cool in front of Batman."

"Idiot."

"Yeah, yeah. Love you too, sis."

"As touching as this is," Batman said sternly, as Felicity released her sister and wiped her eyes briefly, the two walking over to the rest of them, "How did you get in here?"

Lena had been in the middle of half hugging Barry and re-assuring her team she really was alright, suddenly looked guilty. She stood up straight and bit her lip, fidgeting on the spot, "Right. About that – I kind of broke in."

Batman looked incredulous, glancing between the two Smoak sisters with equal disbelief. "Both of them managed to break in? In the same day?!"

He sounded like he was seriously rethinking the choice to let any of them in although there was a hint of appraisal in his tone, so Barry smiled, patting him sympathetically on the shoulder. "Sorry, Bats. I warned you they were good."

"Plus, it's not like you have a doorbell," Lena pointed out, defending herself. At the sharp look she received she jumped and changed the subject, fixing Superman with a steady look. "Is it true you have heat vision?"

"Um, yeah," Clark answered, squinting.

Lena held up a brown paper bag which had been slung over her arm, unnoticed, until then. She asked in a casual tone, "Have you ever tried to microwave 32 burritos with it?"

"I can't say I have," he replied, but it was accompanied by an amused smile this time.

"Huh. Well I got these as a peace offering, so let's try that."

"Perhaps just using the microwave would be safer. We do have a kitchen."

"Right," Felicity said, walking back to the computer to the chair she had claimed. She felt Oliver's hand clamp on her shoulder as she sat down and was grateful for it. "We have some work to be getting on with – why don't you guys sort out the food, you must be hungry. I can stay here and work on this."

"I'll stay too," Cyborg offered with a grin. But before Barbara could also volunteer, Batman cut in. He might have been stern when he was worried for the safety of his children, but it was out of love, so softened now everyone was safe. He'd take no body count over a victory any day.

"Barbara, why don't you give the other younger members of the team a tour of this place," he suggested, "you know it best, and we can stay here and sort things out in the meantime. Take a break, all of you."

Knowing no wouldn't be taken for an answer; she had only shrugged in response before starting to move, wheeling herself backwards. Several of the new faces looked surprised to see her wheelchair, but thankfully none of them commented on it. Although some of the more tech savvy and scientific leaguers stayed behind, the Green Lantern and the Arrow decided to go with the kids to make sure they didn't kill one another. They were just leaving when Barry called.

"Hey Lena, what memory did you see? We think we might be able to map what areas of the brain the serum effects by comparing them – my mother's murder, Wally's dad, Roy attacking people because of the Mirikuru-" He stopped short, having been so in the thought process of a scientist he'd forgotten to take human emotion into account. Lena's face had drained of colour.

"What? You guys only had one memory?" she asked, looking between them confusedly. Eventually her eyebrows jerked up as she shrugged, "Lucky – I got a whole montage of crap. Guess the serum couldn't decide on a worst day."

She smiled sadly as she left, jogging a few steps to catch up to the others. It looked like Wally said something to her, because she laughed and ruffled his hair which he ducked out of, pushing her away. Quickly, Oliver shared a nod with Felicity – he'd talk to the younger sister. The doors to the main deck clinked shut behind the other group, and the rest of the league turned to Felicity expectantly.

"What?" she asked, jumping back in her seat, "why are you all looking at me?"

"You're the expert," Superman replied, still smiling. "You have the floor – what do we do?"

Felicity turned back to the computers so they couldn't see the surprised look which appeared on her face. She was used to her team having faith in her – but for these people to, which was on a whole other level. Pride burned in her stomach as she began to tap at the keys, announcing confidently, "We're going to make sure this never happens to anyone else, ever again. The Scarecrow is going down."

* * *

**A/N: **_so chapter fives are always about characters fears! This is a really long set up to something else, even I haven't got to the resolution of the fear serum and scarecrow yet in my writing ahead. Also, hey hey hey I started a new story! I finally did it & began writing my Blue Beetle/Arrow crossover, so it would mean a lot to me if you guys checked it out! Because a) you are the best. b) you guys leave such lovely reviews, thank you. and c) it has all canon characters, no OC's, with a strong Felicity centric plot. So yeah, it's called 'Smoak in your eyes' and you'll be able to find it on my profile._

Final thing: has everyone watched Assualt on Arkham? or Guardians of the galaxy? because if you have & want to talk to me about it, feel free to drop me a message on tumblr at: wallyallenwest ( )


	6. Testing the weight of the world

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC. go figure.**

* * *

** 'Testing the weight of the world'**

In the kitchen at Mount Justice, most of the people present tucked in to the burritos, tearing in to them ravenously as they spread out along the long table. Nothing much had been said so far, but they were comfortable enough – the food was surprisingly good. The sounds of satisfied munching and the crinkle of tinfoil filled the air.

Eventually, Barbara bit her lip and pointed her fork at Lena, voicing her thoughts. "You look familiar . . . have we met before? I swear I've seen your face."

The redhead was frowning trying to work it out, but Lena grinned easily. She was barely picking at her own food. "Yeah, we've met. You kind of saved me a few months ago when I was on the losing end of a fight. Street in Bludhaven, you said something about a break out – ringing any bells?"

"Right! You and your friend took on like six Arkham escapees. You were doing well, actually," Barbara remembered, offering a hand across the table, "I'm Barbara, by the way. Sorry I couldn't come earlier, but it might have been difficult getting around with me." She looked down, embarrassed. She hated that her disability meant her missing out on things. Forcing a smile, she went on, "Plus I was manning the security here, until your sister cracked into it."

"Yeah, Felicity's something alright," Lena agreed with a proud grin as she shook the offered hand. "And since you missed out on this morning, I'm having a party tonight, why don't you come? All of you can get to the club easily enough."

"Really?" Dick asked, looking up eagerly, "I'll never say no to a party."

"'Course. You guys are alright."

"Gee, thanks," Barbara added, and they all laughed. Wally reached for his second burrito (Lena had gotten him and Barry four each) and Superman left the room to take the rest of the spare Mexican food to the others on the main deck.

"Wait, what were you doing in Gotham?" Oliver interrupted, eyes questioning his younger teammate.

"It was when we were arguing," Lena explained, "I went to visit Luca and we ran into a little trouble. Totally accidentally. It's not like I was even looking for it that time, I promise."

"Luca?" Barbara smirked knowingly, "so that's your boyfriend's name?"

"Not my boyfriend."

"Really? You guys seemed awful worried about one another that night. It was adorable. How's your arm healing, anyway?"

"Yes, really. He's like my brother," Lena replied with a roll of her eyes. She held up an arm. Across her forearm was a thin white line. "Better than I expected. Courtesy of the asslamp Slade Wilson, of course – the jerks that night only re-opened it." Oliver frowned – she had never mentioned it being hurt again. But she seemed alright, "It was lucky Luca was there to stitch it up."

"You call that bad?" Dick laughed, pulling his blue shirt down to reveal a crudely cut 'J' on his chest, alongside what looked like a bullet wound, "try getting on the wrong side of the Joker."

"Please, at least you never got crippled by him," Barbara laughed, slapping him on the arm. "Stop showing off."

"You both have no clue. Getting hit by an alien ray gun is way worse," Hal argued, lifting his own short to the side to reveal a long burn down his torso. He was grinning smugly, thinking he had won. "And try pissing off Killiwog first thing in the morning."

Lena reminded him, "I have."

Wally sighed, "Struck by lightning, guys."

"I've been shot a few times . . ." Steph offered, but she was relatively green to this life.

"I heal fast, but I have been wounded in ways which would kill most of you humans," Kara said bluntly. She was picking at her food, trying not to get drawn in to the pointless argument. Comparing scars was dumb – it was if you won the fight that counted. But little smiles were beginning to appear on the faces of everyone at the table, the fact that they were even able to joke about their injuries and get competitive a miracle in itself.

"Same," Roy agreed. "I'd be dead if I wasn't for the Mirikuru."

"And I have enough scars that I've lost count," Oliver put in. He rolled his eyes, putting his hand on the table. He leaned forwards with a smile, liking these kids more and more – the batkids seemed remarkably optimistic despite their mentors gloomy presentation, and it was nice to see them joking instead of brooding, which he might have done in their situation. He admired that – he had always admired Roy's resilience and Lena's ability to laugh quicker than anyone he'd ever known, but he was honestly glad to see that the next generation of heroes might just be what the world needed. Not vigilantes or people with vendettas, but people who acted with kindness; heroes.

"If I actually joined this game you'd all lose," Lena smirked, "the arm was my most recent injury, not my worst."

"Oh really?" Tim laughed, but his tone was questioning. He and Steph were the 'replacements', although he hated to think of it that way – Steph had taken on the batgirl mantle after Barbara's unfortunate incident with the Joker, and he had sought out Batman after the death of the previous Robin, Jason Todd. Batman had been broken by the other boy's death, and Tim felt the pressure on him every day. He had to be Robin. He was still trying to figure all of them out. "I thought you only started working with the Arrow a year ago. Or at least that's what Batman's background check said."

"Doesn't mean that's when I started fighting," Lena tilted her head. Suddenly, her voice stopped being joking, and Oliver noticed she hadn't eaten, but the hand which held her fork shook.

He put a hand on her back, "can I have a word in private?"

"Sure," she answered, momentarily glad for the escape but knowing the conversation with him alone would probably be worse. She added under her breath, "This should be fun."

* * *

Felicity's fingers were working at a hundred miles an hour, flying across the keyboard with ease even though her eyes and mind were elsewhere. She moved on instinct to process all of the information they had. There wasn't much they could do today – the attack had been unexpected but not unprecedented, meaning Scarecrow had rather a large file. None of it was anything good.

With what they had managed to collect from the scene and the thugs they had in the Gotham jail waiting for further questioning, they had a little to go on to track down the villain. Felicity had found people with a lot less than that. She was sure that they'd have something workable in a few days, especially since Barry also donated a sample of his blood for them all to analyse to see what exactly gave the fear serum its effect. It was the same as any case she worked with her team: they used what they had, chased down any little leads, and waited until they had something concrete. Life went on in the meantime.

Or at least it did for her. As well as being increasingly intimidated by the amount of literal geniuses in the room, Felicity was also becoming aware of the hours passing, and that she had a party to get to. She and the others had spent the last month organising for Lena's 20th – and the day was finally here. Every year on that day, the 17th of May, Felicity had tried to remember her sister – this year they were together. Felicity couldn't believe the turn of events, so wanted to do something special.

Despite everything, an amused sort of smile flitted across her features as she worked. It was occasionally undercut by a twitch of worry. Felicity was biting her lip often and staring into space as she worked, mind somewhere else – she was worried about Lena. Even Barry had been shook up by the fear serum, throwing himself into work beside her silently, lacking his usual charming comments and cheer. He was pale, and she knew he was worried about Wally, too. She knew her sister. Although Lena had laughed and joked, trying to make out like it was no big deal; Felicity saw the signs that her little sister wasn't okay at all.

"Miss Smoak," a voice cut through her thoughts and she jumped in her seat with a little noise of surprise. The voice belonged to Batman, who seemed to smile beneath his cowl at her reaction. "Are you okay? You've been staring at the same picture for the past five minutes."

"Oh, right! Sorry, I was just-"

"Worried?"

There was definitely a smile now instead of a scowl, kind underneath the dark shadow of Batman's mask, a humanity she had been guessing at since earlier. In the chaos of the attack, Felicity had somehow noticed Batman in the confusion over who was in danger and saw his fear at the possibility his sidekicks could be hurt. He had appeared vulnerable for a few seconds, masking it in his voice when he was on the comms to Nightwing, but his own worry was clear. He obviously cared a lot about them. Oliver claimed the guy was a jerk so far, but Felicity was beginning to disagree – there was a difference between being guarded and heartless. And Batman wasn't heartless.

"Yeah," she agreed with a smile of her own. Relaxing in her chair, Felicity thought that the Dark Knight wasn't so scary anymore. "Families, huh? Tough gig. Not that I'd have it any other way, I mean, but . . . you know what I mean."

She knew she was babbling so closed her mouth quickly, looking abashed. To her surprise, Batman smiled more, and there was a soft chuckle from her other side.

"I get that," Cyborg laughed lightly. It was only her, Batman, Cyborg and Barry left working on the main desk now, the others all having wandered off to do something or another. The half-robot was surprisingly funny and good natured, although she had been intimidated at first it only took a few minutes to realize he was just trying to work life out like the rest of them, and was surprisingly young. Victor Stone, he said his name was – the semi-famous football player turned robotic superhero. "Before the accident, my dad and I had a lot of bad blood between us. It took me nearly dying to see how much he cared. Now, since I'm-" he gestured at his entire body, "we've been getting along a lot better. I couldn't do it without him."

"Well, I think it's awesome," Felicity smiled over at him. "Both things. That you're getting on better with your dad, and the whole computer thing. It's pretty cool."

"I'm glad someone thinks so. Until recently, I didn't go out or talk to anyone – they thought I was a freak."

"I don't think you're gonna have to worry about that here. We're all screwed up one way or another." Felicity frowned and bit her lip, swinging on her chair, "I'm actually starting to think having some sort of issue is part of the criteria for being a hero."

That got a laugh. For a few minutes they went back to work, the absence of Barry's voice adding to the joke painfully felt. Felicity worried about him. But before she could go over to talk to him, Batman spoke again, "I'm sorry your people had to suffer. It was me Scarecrow wanted to hurt."

"Don't blame yourself. No one deserves that, but they all decided for themselves to stay and fight."

"But your sister-"

"Is the most stubborn person I know," Felicity laughed, "except for Oliver, of course. Once she's decided that someone's a friend, there's nothing on earth that can touch them without her say so. I might worry, but she doesn't regret it, I know it, and that's her choice." She leaned towards him to flash a bright smile, "they're your family, don't feel bad for caring about them. Ever. It's okay to be relieved that they're safe."

Batman shook his head disbelievingly, "I've never met people like you before."

"Thank you. At least, I think that was a compliment."

"It was."

"Good, I guess," Felicity replied. She softened, "so they're your family then? Your . . . Robins?"

"They're not my blood, but they're as good as."

"Bats are stronger than blood?" Felicity guessed with a laugh.

"Something like that," he replied, tone changing. There was a familiarity in it; an affection she felt was rarely touched on in the night of day. The Batman people saw on TV was terrifying and ruthless, but the man sitting beside her was more than his mask. He was a father, kinder than he let on – a human, basically. "I just worry that one day; I'll lose one of them-"

Felicity noticed his sentence was stopped short. The word 'again' went unspoken but noticed. She asked cautiously, knowing the look – Oliver wore it all the time. "You've lost someone before," she said frankly, a statement not a guess. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," he replied, closed off again. Batman pulled something up on his screen before getting to his feet, leaving the room. "I intend to make sure it never happens again. I'm going back to Gotham to see if I have anything in my personal base that can help."

He stepped inside the Zeta tube and disappeared. Felicity watched awkwardly, worried she had said something wrong and put her foot in her mouth again, swinging back around to face the computers in her seat. "Did I . . . ?"

"Don't sweat it, he does that a lot," Victor replied with a shake of his head. Felicity found it hard not to look into his red robotic eye when he faced her dead on, so hoped he didn't notice and talk offence. He twitched his mouth up in what could have been a smile of sympathy, "the guy acts like nothing can touch him, but he does love his kids. Helped me out a lot, too. I wouldn't worry – he likes you. I can tell."

"Should I be honoured?"

"Yeah. Batman respects few people, and I think you're among them after today."

"Huh," Felicity said, cheeks flushing with pride. Wanting to avoid having to answer that, she glanced over to where Barry sat, a little away from the rest of them. His face was down a microscope, looking at his own blood sample and still not saying a word. Something was definitely wrong.

Crossing the room quickly, she stopped behind him and reached out a hand. Fingertips resting on the shoulder, his blue jumper smooth beneath her hand, he tensed at the touch. Without having to look up, Barry said loudly, "I'm alright, Felicity."

"No you're not," she told him. In a moment, Barry turned and she hugged him, letting him rest his head on her shoulder. Of everyone, she understood why he would be breaking down: when he had first told her the full story of his mother's murder, only she and Oliver had seen the tears in his eyes. Seeing it again today was devastating for him. Barry hugged her tightly for a moment, glad he was able to call Felicity Smoak a friend. She held him back, telling him, "it might not feel okay now, but it will be. You're fine, Wally will be fine. We're going to fix all of this."

* * *

"We're going to fix this," Oliver said as soon as he came to a stop. He and Lena were standing in an empty corridor in the mountain, stone walls surrounding them and a large metal door blocking them from the others. The girl had followed him like he was leading her to be executed, face ashen and hands cramped into her pockets, head down. He pushed, "hey, cut the crap now: are you really okay?"

"Not really," she admitted. Lena looked up to meet his eye and shrugged, "having to relive your nightmares kind of sucks. Especially today, you know?" She made a face, "I'm fine. Could've done without it - but I'll live. Don't worry so much."

"You kind of gave me reason to," Oliver pointed out, but kindly, "you don't have to lie for me. If you want to go home or-"

"No, no. I actually like those guys. Irritatingly optimistic: but good people."

"I know what you mean," Oliver laughed, as she was basically voicing his earlier thoughts. "I think you're going to get along just fine. Roy might have to adapt a bit – in fact; it'll be a miracle if he doesn't hurt anybody." Lena let out a small laugh at that, putting her hand to her eyes, which she hadn't realised were wet. Oliver tried to distract her further, "but I'm sure you'll pull them all together. It's what you do."

"I don't regret saving them."

"I know."

"You mad?"

He shook his head, "proud."

"I'm sorry if I worried you," Lena said. She stopped to lean against the wall. "Felicity looked really scared when I came back, I shouldn't have left. It was stupid. I just . . . I didn't want any of you to see me break down. It was selfish. I was never too good at following orders, was I?"

"Its fine," he put a hand on her shoulder, "we're all just glad you're safe. Where did you go?"

"Apart from the hour I spent sobbing in the first dark corner I found?" she quirked an eyebrow. Oliver tried not to let it show how much that comment hurt him. "I walked around a while, got the food, cleared my head as best I could . . ."

"Looks like that went well."

"Shut up," Lena smirked, shoving him a little. Oliver rocked back on the balls of his feet with a grin, watching her reactions carefully for the truth. Her smile was more genuine now, and she spoke on confidentially, realizing something as she said it aloud. "Really – I think as a weapon, 'fear serum' is kinda stupid. You can make someone relive their memories, but no replica can cause as much pain as the original memory. It's cowardly. This Scarecrow guy can't make people scared himself, so he has to chance that they've got their own nightmares to beat them. It's ridiculous."

"Glad to hear it," the Arrow smiled, feeling his respect for the younger girl grow. She was still shocked from the morning, he could tell, and they all knew she had more than her fair share of nightmares, but of course Lena found a way to mock her attackers. It was in her nature – she was a fighter. Oliver tilted his head to one side, "I know I've said it before but – well, if you ever need to talk . . ."

"Got it, Big Hood," she nodded, grinning again. The nickname was one she had been using affectionately since New Year's; having decided Oliver deserved a nickname too. Everyone else had one. Impulsively, Oliver stepped forwards to hug her, his body completely dwarfing hers by comparison and he thought about how someone so deceivingly fragile looking was so terrifying in battle. Lena was surprised at the embrace, but allowed it for a moment before stepping back. "Now, as we're approaching teenage girls bubbling about their feelings territory, I think that's enough of that."

He barked out a laugh in response. Oliver held up his hands in defeat, "whatever you say. I just wanted to check you weren't going to disappear again."

"Not today," she promised. When he looked worried again at that, she sighed exasperatingly and rolled her eyes, "God, I never meant – I just meant we never know what's gonna happen! I'm not planning on leaving, there's no need to break out the 'worry-face'."

"I don't have a -"

"Yes you do," Lena cut him off, holding up a finger. "It's the same face you get every time Felicity spends a day out of the city, or me and Roy go out on patrol on our own. So stop it."

Oliver made a very different face, protesting, "I can't help what my face looks like!" When all she did was cross her arms and look disapproving in his direction, he cursed in Russian and lifted his head incredulously. "You know, I've never met someone as reluctant to let people care about them as you?"

"That's some filthy language, I'm offended," Lena pouted playfully, leaving him to wonder how many languages she actually spoke. First, Barry told them she had interrogated one of the men in Serbian, and now she understood in swearing in Russian? She grinned again, "and it's an honour to hold such a high and mighty position."

"I'm being serious. Of course I worry. I'm always going to worry, we all are – you're family. You should just accept it and let us help."

"You do. All of you help just by being here," she replied, as serious as he was now, although it was as if she couldn't hold back some of the humour in her words. "But there is a difference between caring and worrying, believe it or not. Caring is giving me a hug like that beautiful moment we just shared." Lena waited for his reluctant laugh at that to carry on, "worrying is_ that_ face and brooding over things you can't change. That's what I'm telling you not to do."

Frowning, Oliver lied, "I – I don't do that."

He looked at his toes. He knew it was a lie; she knew it was a lie – she had a point. Seeing Oliver was about to admit she was right, Oliver clapped a hand on his shoulder and said directly at his face, "You can't carry the weight of the world by yourself, Oliver. Even Hercules could only manage it for a while until he had to trick some bad guy to take the weight."

He frowned more at her, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"There was a kids book of myths that somebody left on the train the other day when I was on my way to Central," Lena explained distractedly, tilting her head. "What? I might not have got a very good education, but I still know stuff! Sometimes . . ." she trailed off, eyebrows creasing for a second before she shook her head violently. "That's not the point!"

"I'm beginning to think there isn't one."

"The point is," Lena said, glaring at him for the comment. "You don't have to bear the weight on your own anyway. That's the point of being a team. We all work together – maybe that weight doesn't seem as heavy. It might still be there, but it's manageable. You don't have to worry about everyone all of the time – we can look after ourselves."

"I think I get it," Oliver nodded, a small smile tracing his lips. But then it became a grin as he laughed out loud, having to lean over with his hands on his knees for a good five minutes before he stood, and wiping tears from his eyes. "I'm sorry," he apologised, hands over his head. He was laughing for real now, assured the younger girl was okay. Her advice was well-meant, and actually good – but he couldn't get over her trying to integrate the mythology so terribly. It was hilarious, "It's just . . . never change, okay?"

Although she was rolling her eyes as she watched him laughing at her, Lena found the energy to grin once more. "Never."

* * *

A/N: _What to take from this chapter: Jason is dead at this point and the batfam are suffering from it; Oliver and Lena are giant dorks. If Oliver seems occ, it's because I've been slowly 'lightening up' his character to be more like comic GA. This starts the character arc of Lena feeling dumber than the rest of them, something I thought was important - the kid never finished high school, so her education is gappy and mostly involved weapons proficiency, and she is being surrounded by literal genius'. It's easy to forget that despite the fact she is a badass, she is also human; humiliation at not knowing as much as the rest and genuine fear were bound to happen sometime. I just thought it was important to include. Please review!_

_Again, please check out my new story 'Smoak in your eyes' as it will be taking most of my attention for the next few weeks. I'm also dead excited to write it - bragging rights to the first Arrow/Blue Beetle crossover go to me!_


	7. Shut up and Dance

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. well, I own some pretty cool t shirts and a bad sense of humour, but nothing related to the story. DC and the CW own that. and Walk the Moon own the song 'shut up and dance'.

* * *

**'Shut up and Dance'**

_oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me__I said "you're holding back"__she said "shut up and dance with me!"_

"Are they still arguing?" Wally asked when Dick walked back into the room, the sigh the older boy let out enough response to answer. The redhead frowned. "Dang it. He's not gonna let you come, is he?"

"I don't know, Kid," Dick answered, sitting cross-legged in the centre of the room tiredly. It had been a few hours since their burrito lunch, and when Barbara had asked Bruce about them going to Lena's party, Batman had exploded. The robins and batgirls had expected it – he was stubborn and overprotective, but Green Lantern and Arrow had tried to argue their case. That had been over an hour ago.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Roy said, "we've already told him ARGUS is supplying the security, the club is one of the safest places in America tonight. Is he always such an ass?"

"Hey," Dick commented warningly, knowing Batman better than anyone aside from Alfred. He hated people badmouthing his mentor. "He feels guilty, though he'd never admit it. Probably thinks he could have single-handedly saved everyone if he had been there this morning, and doesn't want us out of his sight until this deal with Scarecrow is sorted. I still don't understand how they knew who to attack; our civilian identities are top secret . . ."

"They were after Tim Drake, not Robin," Lena answered him. They had grown tired of listening to the arguments so had walked to the highest level of the building, which had a circular skylight in the centre of the room. She had laid in the middle of the room, flat on her back without a word. Wally joined her not long after, before Dick and Steph too lay on the ground to watch the sky, which was stormy. Grey clouds drifted above them. Kara had sat on the window ledge, Roy with his back against the wall by the door, and Tim was pacing. "Said something about Bruce Wayne being a supporter of Batman publicly, and that they thought by kidnapping his kid, they could lure out the Batman." She rolled on her side to squint at Tim, "so that's who you are, huh? Ward of Bruce Wayne. Are you like, all rich?"

"Says the person who lives with Oliver Queen," Tim pointed out.

"Fair point. I make my own money, though, I just take the room from Oliver. However, from growing up poor, I feel obligated to not turn down money or a place to stay. It's rooted against my nature. I used to have to take anything I could get, so to not have to worry is a dream."

"I can relate," Dick murmured. "But I always felt like I should at least be a little independent – that's why I took a job as a cop."

"And I don't live with them, neither does Babs," Steph said with a shrug. "Wayne manor is a little 'boys only', which is ridiculous. Not that I mind. Babs and I live mostly in the clocktower where she does all her Oracle business from - it's cool. You should stay over some time; we could make a girls club."

"Now that's a plan," Lena laughed, turning back to lie flat. "All we need to do now is get you to this party . . ."

* * *

"Come on, Bats," Barry pleaded. "They'll be fine! We can go straight there via a Zeta and once they're inside, nobody without an invite is getting in. Plus, who's stupid enough to try and kidnap the same kid twice in one day? This is a Bruce problem, not a Bat problem. Those kids deserve a night off-"

"Nobody should be having a night off," Batman argued, standing his ground. Barbara was tapping at a computer behind him with the help of Felicity and Cyborg. After a few hours donning the cape in Gotham, he had found no signs of Scarecrow himself, but whispers about a plan to trap the Batman and a new fear serum designed to attack memory for a much longer amount of time. He hadn't told the others this yet, but he had a feeling that the people infected today would be having nightmares for quite some time. "We should be working! Scarecrow is still out there. What if he attacks the manor and finds the Batcave? If he or anyone else finds out that Bruce Wayne is Batman – well, it just can't happen. I won't let it. The attack against Tim is too close to home – I don't want him leaving here for a while."

"Bruce," Clark said reasonably, standing with the rest of the Justice League on the opposite side of the room. They were all for the party except for Batman. Everyone wanted a calm after the storm before the search for Scarecrow began – their first official mission together. "ARGUS owes the Arrow a favour so is covering the entire party, I think they'll be safe. I promise we'll all start work on finding Scarecrow tomorrow."

"I'll work tonight. Someone needs to start, if you won't take this seriously."

"We _are_ taking this seriously," Felicity cut in: edge of irritation in her tone. She swivelled around in her chair to face them, "trust me. But if you want to work as a team, we've all got to understand each other better. This is important to us. So is the party. You've got to have balance, otherwise what's the point in having a double life? You may as well never take off the mask."

Oliver stepped forwards a little to support her, hands opened peacefully towards Batman. "Listen, I get being worried about them – Roy and Lena scare me half to death by doing something stupid on a weekly basis – but you've got to let them live their lives."

Batman crossed his arms, "I want to _keep_ them alive. This was a serious threat – Scarecrow's sanity is questionable at best, I can't predict what he might do, and I won't risk it."

"There's no risk! Hell, we'll have DeadShot on the roof and_ Superman_ inside – let them have a little fun."

"I don't think-"

"It will be safe. I'll bribe the bartenders not to serve anyone underage," Oliver joked. "There will be music, a little dancing, and a chance for all of the kids to really bond. It can't be easy for them. I struggle with this, and I'm a grown man – having friends they can talk to might just do all of them a world of good."

Batman still looked uncertain, but paused long enough to consider it. His own lost childhood bothered him greatly, and among all of his worries about taking on the Robin's was that he was depriving them of one. Maybe one night off couldn't hurt . . .

He turned to look at Barbara, who shrugged guiltily. "I never got to go along today," she said, subconsciously brushing a hand against her wheelchair. The guilt in his chest doubled. "It would be nice to just hang out with people . . . we go out alone sometimes, anyway. Bi-weekly breakfasts together in Gotham-"

Bruce's jaw fell open, "you _what_?"

"Everyone needs a break sometimes, B. Even birds sleep." Barbara shrugged, "we go grocery shopping, too. There would be no soda or chocolate in the manor at all if we didn't."

"If they go, they will be under your direct responsibility," Batman barked, turning to face Oliver. His entire body was stiff and upright, the drill-sergeant; he was frustrated with the situation, not them. It was easier to act detached, to be Batman than a father. So that's what he did. "If they get hurt, I will hold you personally responsible."

Oliver rocked back on his heels, sharing a hopeful look with Felicity before nodding, "yessir."

Batman only nodded and turned away. Back at the computer, he pulled up the blood samples from Barry and Wally, who can consented to it, beginning to immediately work again. As far as he was concerned, it was a closed matter now, even if he hated it.

Oliver winked at Felicity behind his back in triumph, and she grinned. They both wanted this to go well. One day, Oliver hoped Roy mind take over the Arrow mantle, but he wanted to make sure they had allies first. Behind them, Hal distracted them by pulling out his phone.

"I'll text Lena and tell her," the Lantern said nonchalantly, "then I need to go pretty myself up. I can't go out looking like this."

* * *

"I hate waiting!" Lena groaned from her place on the floor. "We need to think of something to do."

"Why? Sitting is so much fun," Roy deadpanned, half asleep against the wall by that point. He was perpetually sarcastic when he was irritated, so she kicked him with the nearest foot to get him to lighten up. It was a weak kick, and it ended up with Lena's legs on his lap which Roy tried not to laugh at. He went on, "I know, we could bake cookies or tell stories or-"

"Perfect!" Lena cut in. "Stories. Everyone – best story no one else here knows."

"This is stupid."

"Give it up, Harper."

"You already know everything!"

"Come on, there's got to be something interesting that happened before I got there! Early day team Arrow, life before Red Arrow . . ."

Roy shrugged, "I once shot out the electricity at the Foundry when I was first learning. Oliver didn't care, but Felicity chewed me out for it until I brought her chocolate to apologise. She said it was hard to run a vigilante operation off a laptop battery. I had to practise outside ever since."

Lena laughed, "You see! Good, that's funny. And getting her chocolate – you're adorable." He tried to shove her legs away then, but she just put her socks in his face and carried on, "Okay – next!"

"The first time I tried to go on patrol, it was before I met Batman – I wore this homemade costume I'd stitched up myself," Steph revealed, playing with the ends of her blonde hair. "Fell right over the cape. Nearly broke my neck just walking down the stairs."

That managed to get more of a laugh, Tim finally stopping his pacing to sit down nearby, legs tucked in. Steph's cheeks turned red, but she was still laughing.

"I did the same," the Robin agreed. "The damn boots don't help, either."

"I, however, always had perfect grace and poise," Dick grinned, earning himself a punch in the arm from Steph. He pushed himself up, "seriously. I was an acrobat, I never had to adjust to the whole jumping-off-buildings and costume thing like the rest of you."

"Dude, you were an acrobat?" Roy snorted.

"Yeah," Dick scoffed, gesturing to himself with a laugh, "how else would I get this lithe but muscular physique? Or do a quadruple back flip – which hardly anyone else in the world can do, by the way."

"Show off," Tim sang.

"Don't be jealous, little brother."

"As if."

The exchange brought a smile to Lena's lips, which only increased when she looked at Roy to find him already watching her. They shared a kind smirk this time. It was only just then they were realizing the Batkids were a family, too. The familial teasing and joking revealed that much. Lena and Roy's gazes flicked over to Wally, their little cousin, who noticed the exchanged look and seemed pleased to be included. At the same time they noticed the family teams among them, Kara did too. She saw the batfamily, and that even the speedsters and arrows seemed to share some bond, meaning that she alone had nobody but Superman – and her and Clark argued at the best of times. A frown appeared on her face as she looked back out of the window, unnoticed by the others.

Just then, Lena's phone buzzed and she opened a text with an exclamation of excitement. "Yes! They wore Batman down," she told the group, sitting straight up with a grin, "you guys can come tonight!"

"Seriously?" Steph asked, genuinely impressed. "He usually never gives up on these things."

"Well then I guess today is a lucky day. We should get going actually, there's a few things we need to sort out before it starts," Roy mused, receiving a nod from Lena in agreement. He pulled her to her feet easily as they get ready to leave, but before they were out of the room a voice called after them.

"Hey!" Dick pouted accusingly, sitting up to stare at Lena. "It was your idea, yet somehow you managed to get away with not telling any stories. Come on, fess up before you go."

"Hmmmnnn," she thought aloud, as Wally got up to find his uncle and follow them. The two speedsters were returning to Central to get changed and pick up Iris before the party, which was now only a few hours away. The sky outside was growing dark; it had been a long day already, but there was plenty of time left for a few laughs that night. A smile lit up her face as she finally thought of something, "I got arrested once. Not even for any of the really illegal stuff – I was in Vegas, I was drunk – I jumped into the fountain outside that big casino. Thought it would be funny to go for a swim apparently, until some rent-a-cop pulled me out and locked me up."

Everyone laughed at that, nobody at all having heard that story before – not even Roy. Wally was staring at her in a new admiration, slack jawed and desperate to immediately go and tell his uncle. Tim's brow creased like he thought it was a dumb thing to do until Steph nudged his shoulder with a grin, communicating with her eyes for him to lighten up for once, before he grudgingly smiled; Roy wondered if there was something going on between the two younger batkids. All this happened while Kara smirked, understanding these humans a little better with a little of her own respect growing for the blonde archer. Dick just flat out fell about laughing.

Lena grinned good naturedly at their laughter as Roy collapsed laughing next to her, putting one hand on her shoulder in disbelief, but she nodded in confirmation. "It's true. Luca had to bail me out a few hours later."

"What were you doing in Vegas?" Roy asked through his spluttered laughter.

"We were on holiday. I just had a little too much fun."

"I'll say," Steph laughed, "I hope tonight is as much fun."

"We'll have to see about that," Lena said, twinkle in her eyes. With everyone there, she didn't how something fun could not happen tonight. She and Hal would do more karaoke, at least that she was sure of. Right now she wanted a shower desperately – she would only take ten minutes to get ready after that. "Okay, we really have to head off now – think you'll be able to stay out of trouble for two hours without us."

"We'll try."

Steph saluted towards them as Lena, Roy and Wally walked through Mount Justice, looking to drag their respective mentors out to get ready. Excitement fluttered in all of their beating hearts – new starts always felt that way, and this one was bigger than most.

* * *

When Oliver walked into the club that night, already pulling at the collar of his shirt in annoyance while Felicity swatted his hand down, the first thing he saw caused a giant smile to erupt on his face.

"Speedy?" he asked joyously, and the dark head he had spotted turned to face him. She was dressed in red and looked to have grown up a lot in the few months it had been since he had last saw her, face tanned and posture a lot more straight and relaxed.

Thea's face smiled back at him. "Ollie!" She ran over and hugged him fiercely, closing her arms around his neck tightly as he lifted her slightly off the ground in his eagerness, "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, look at you, I swear you've grown," Oliver said as they broke apart, Thea hugging Felicity next before turning back to speak with him. She laughed at him.

"I don't know about that," she said, "I've learnt a lot, though. Paris is amazing."

"I'm just glad you're happy there, let's get a seat and some drinks so you can tell us all about it," Oliver suggested, and they moved to do just that. In a darkened corner of the club, quickly filling with familiar faces, Oliver Queen sat down with his sister for the first time in months. "How's it going? Ready to come back yet?" She glared at him for that comment, so he held up his hands in defeat, "just kidding!"

"It's going . . . surprisingly well. Working with Laurel again is fun, and the cases are interesting without the danger of Starling," the youngest Queen answered, genuinely enthusiastic about her new work. "My apartment finally feels like home, and well, it is now. I have friends, a life. I haven't felt this sure about something in years."

"I'm happy for you," Oliver realized, smiling a little sadly. He got up to distract himself, "this round's on me. I'll be right back."

He walked over to the bar calmly. Today had been wearing, but he had his little sister back for a few days before she returned to Paris, and he didn't want to miss a second of her company. But seeing her so happy at being so far away stung a little. He wished her home was still here, but it was time for him to admit that it wasn't. Sighing out loud as he got to the bar, Oliver ordered their drinks and waited for them to come, leaning against the counter and looking away.

The blue light was dim, but he could see their friends in the crowd: Barry and Iris were dancing; he could see Barbara Gordon's wheelchair at the side of the room, where she sat with the other Batkids, Wally and Kara; Luca and Roy stood with drinks by a table; Lena was chatting animatedly with the hulking form of Superman a little way down the bar. Even Detective Lance had come, and was at that moment engaged in conversation with Wonder Woman in her civilian clothes, although he doubted the detective knew that. The rest of the Justice League aside from Batman were also around somewhere, although he had yet to see them.

"You've put on a good party."

The voice made him jump over the dull throbbing of the house music, so Oliver flinched to see a face he knew well standing at the bar beside him. "Laurel," he said the name, straightening with a smile, "it's good to see you."

"You too."

"I'm glad you could make it. I've missed seeing you around."

"I've missed this city," Laurel replied, smile becoming wistful as she looked around. Her blue suit stood out, and he realized he had missed her both as a friend and an ally in the court. Chatting with her was easier than he remembered it being. Oliver supposed that now he was with Felicity, the tension between them was gone – and Laurel was a good friend. She was smiling as she continued, "I am loving Paris, but it isn't Starling. I get the feeling I could go as far away from here as it's possible to get and it will still be constantly on my mind. But it's refreshing to work somewhere new."

"Thea said the same thing," he revealed, "have you been watching out for my baby sister?"

"I've been trying."

"I'm grateful."

Laurel laughed, placing a hand on his arm. "You don't have to thank me. We look after each other – it's what we do. Are you still happy here?"

At the words, his gaze drifted over to Felicity. Diggle had joined her and Thea at their table, and she was obviously laughing at something he had said, one hand clapped over her mouth. Her blonde hair was pinned up, but parts of it bounced with the movement and dear God did he love her.

"Yeah," he breathed in answer, finally tearing his gaze back to Laurel. She had noticed where he looked, so half-smirked knowingly.

"I'm glad you're happy, Ollie. You deserve it."

He raised one of the drinks he had ordered, and she lifted her soda in the air. "To happiness and new beginnings," he proposed.

"To happiness and new beginnings," she echoed, clinking their glasses together. Throwing him a final look, Laurel pushed herself up from the bar, "I'd better go and talk to my dad. That woman he's talking to looks like she could eat him alive."

Oliver could only laugh at that as she walked away; picking up his own drinks and heading back to his table. As he did, he noticed movement at the bar, stopping to see people approach each other from either side. Lena seemed to be dragging the boys over, but soon they stood near the other young heroes they had met today, and soon they were all dancing in a close knit group, Dick even pushing Barbara's chair into the middle of the dance floor before he and Lena spun it in a circle while the others moved around them.

Laughing, the redhead in the chair looked amazed to be doing something so normal. Oliver felt pride rise up within him – they were doing a good thing. Tim and Kara looked uncomfortable, like they had never really been to a party like this before, but they soon lightened up – Roy grabbed Kara's hands and swung them in the worst bout of dad-dancing Oliver had seen in ages, snickering at the sight. He wondered just how drunk Roy was. The blonde Batgirl – Steph, Oliver thought her name was, started to push Robin until he danced, as  
Lena spun under Dick's arm while balancing on the edge of the wheelchair like a pro.

At some point, Luca joined the group and span her under his arm, somehow out of place yet accepted in an instant with the group. As always, Lena smiled all the brighter for having her friend close.

For a moment Oliver worried this was an accident waiting to happen. Then he shrugged, deciding to let kids be kids for a night, and walked back to his girls, putting an arm around Felicity and catching up with his sister.

* * *

The night went almost without a hitch. Almost.

It was about one am when a highly intoxicated Hal Jordan took to the stage, staggering and having found an acoustic guitar from God knows where. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat from dancing with literally everybody there at some point, including Felicity to Oliver's irritation, and Barry – to everyone's delight. The speedster had tried to fight off his friend, and Roy had filmed it. The kid had so much on all of them by now.

He stood slightly swaying on the stage and tapped the microphone. "Hey is zis on? Wow, that's loud." Hal frowned at the microphone before seeming to remember why he was up there and grinning, "Right, is Lena still here? 'Cause I needed to take a-a break from all that . . . t-that crap and play some good ol' rock – rock 'n' roll. I know she'll know this one."

"How much has he had to drink?" Oliver turned to ask Barry, who stood beside him.

"A fair bit," Barry sighed, "he doesn't mean any harm." When Hal started to play a song, Oliver took a few steps towards the stage to stop him, but the speedster caught his arm with a grin. "Leave him. It's tradition."

"Tradition?"

"Yeah. Lena and Hal do Karaoke."

"Really?" Oliver frowned. After all, it was only the night before he had learnt any of them knew the Green Lantern. "How well do you all know each other?"

"Hal and I were buddies for a while, and he gets on well with Lena – she patrols with him in Coast once a week. Roy goes sometimes, too."

"They never said anything."

"I remember the first time I introduced them - sometime in November I think," Barry frowned as he tried to remember, as on the stage his best buddy started to badly sing. He cracked a grin, "that's right – Lena was pissed I didn't tell her sooner, and when I said I wasn't sure you and Hal together was a good idea said, and I quote: 'I won't tell, and it'll really piss him off when he does find out'."

Oliver nodded, "I'm going to kill her."

"It's not worth the effort. I think she just liked going home to Coast occasionally, having a night off from all of this."

The Arrow felt the small bubble of anger subside at the comment, especially as Lena staggered onto the stage at the moment, high-fived the Lantern and began to sing along. He was glad she had so many allies, really. More than he did. Oliver laughed and shook his head.

It was just about the worst version of 'freefallin'' any of them had ever heard, yet it was strangely great at the same time. Halfway through, Felicity squeezed his hand as she appeared at his side, apparently finding her sister's terrible singing hilarious, and Oliver had to agree. It was good to be surrounded by family.

* * *

**A/N**: _I'm sorry I didn't update as regularly this week, I have been super-duper busy. I got my AS results today and I'm disappointed with some but happy with others, so any nice words on this chapter would be a real boost. 'Shut up and dance' is my song for the summer. There's really nothing else to say except . . . review!_


	8. Status Quo

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

**'Status quo'**

The following morning, Lena strolled into Mount Justice at just gone 7am. She knew Barry at least was there and was unsurprised to see Batman standing at the main console, but when she saw Hal sitting on the table beside Barry, she was finally shocked.

"I can't believe you're conscious right now, you nearly drank the entire bar last night," she commented as she approached. Hal had been absent-mindedly strumming a ukulele made from his ring, but looked up with a giant grin when he saw her. "You good, pal?"

"Hey! You can hardly talk; you stayed until -" Hal countered and checked his watch, "three hours ago. You should definitely be at home right now."

"I'm still buzzing, didn't think I'd be able to sleep," Lena shrugged, but Hal looked her up and down, from the oversized coat she was wearing, covering all of her body, then back to her face, smug grin on his own.

"Liar," he commented, smirking. "The last time I saw you, there was definitely something going on with you and that bartender. And you obviously haven't been home but you're here . . . avoiding doing the walk of shame back home!"

"Shut up," Lena shook her head desperately and shushed him, punching Hal on the arm as he giggled. She glanced around but saw the mountain was empty apart from them, cheeks burning red. It wasn't true, but it was better he believed this than worried because she couldn't sleep. She held a threatening finger up, "you are a child. A giant man-child. Don't make me hurt you."

"Oh my God, you did it!" Hal laughed loudly, and she punched him harder this time. A squabble broke out between them, until there was a loud groan on the other side of the room, and Batman turned to them both furiously.

"Enough!" he growled, making Lena and Hal jump apart like scolded children. "I expect better from the people representing this organisation. Yesterday was a major threat and you're acting immaturely – don't make me regret this decision. We're trying to get work done."

"Lighten up, Bats," Hal complained, clapping a hand on Lena's shoulder. "Don't forget she saved your kids just yesterday; don't act like an A-hole."

"They're fine, by the way," Lena added sharply, "you alone didn't grace us with your presence last night, so I made sure they all got cabs to hotels or a Zeta tube. They looked like they had a good time once they unfroze."

Batman frowned, "unfroze?"

"Yeah, it was like they'd never been to a party before. They stood about stiffly for half an hour before we got them to lighten up – what, did you never let them have a little fun?"

"There's little time for 'fun' in a town like Gotham, but they are fine," Batman snapped. He looked at her coldly, almost disappointedly. "You are not like your sister."

He turned and sat back at the computers, cape swinging behind him without another word. Although Hal stifled a chuckle behind his hands like an idiot, Lena's face dropped a little, the words stinging. She agreed with them wholeheartedly – Felicity was so much better than she was – but she was starting to think people might respect her, too. But apparently Batman didn't understand the definition of fun.

"I was right though, wasn't I?" Hal whispered, leaning over to her. "Why else would you be here?"

"Well we're both here, so . . ."

"I'm still drunk. What's your excuse?"

Lena rolled her eyes at him, and remembered why she was there – Barry. He hadn't spoken a word yet, head down a microscope and analysing the blood infected with fear serum. They had theorised that if they could analyse it correctly, a counter-serum could be created to reverse the serums effects should they run into it again. He had stopped working for it a few hours the night before, coming with Iris and Wally to the party until one in the morning, but had returned early to work again. Barry was dedicated, but this was out of the ordinary. He looked pale, too.

She had her mission for the morning – fix Barry. Time to work on that.

* * *

Felicity woke up sometime in the late afternoon. She groaned before she could stop herself, head throbbing just from the minimal amount of sunlight peeking through the closed curtains. It was only opened a fraction of an inch so if that hurt, she was dreading having to go outside and face the day. The party had been fun, with a rare appearance from pre-island party boy Oliver as he danced them around and ordered way too many shots for the two of them. Now she had a killer hangover, and turned over to see him still passed out beside her, one arm thrown over his face and sheets pulled up to his waist.

Felicity sat up straight in bed and immediately regretted it. The pain in her head spiked to the point that it became weightless, the room dizzyingly dropping around her, as did her stomach. She put a hand to her head and uttered a stream of curses against her nature, deciding that if Oliver was going to get them into this, she would damn well wake him up so he could suffer, too. It was his idea.

"Wake up," she ordered, poking him in the side until he stirred. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!"

"Wherezaa fire?" Oliver mumbled, voice slurred and sleepy. He pushed himself up on the pillows and noticed her angry face, "what's wrong?"

"You somehow convinced me that doing shots of Vodka until two in the morning was a good idea, is what."

"Oh," he frowned, his own hangover experience making this a lot easier on him, in fact, he felt okay. "I'm sorry?"

"Ugh" Felicity dumped a pillow on his face and slumped back into bed, making him laugh. Her golden hair peeked out from the white covers she drew up over her face, so Oliver pulled it over his head too, sitting so he supported it like a tent. Felicity had her eyes closed, but smiled anyways. "You are such a child."

"I know," Oliver laughed, taking her hand. "But I also know some excellent hangover cures, and will look after you while you're feeling poorly."

"Oh yeah?"

"Hmmnn," Oliver nodded, leaning to brush his lips against her cheek. "I'll go make some coffee and be right back."

"Check on the others too, they probably feel worse than I do," Felicity asked.

"Of course. Be right back."

Oliver kissed her again, not caring that they both smelt like a trash can and this wasn't their finest moment. Putting the covers back, he left his makeshift tent and crossed to the doors of their room with a smile. They might have killer hangovers now, but last night really had been fun. All of their friends from Starling had shown, as well as most of the Justice League, who Oliver liked greatly now. Batman hadn't shown, but Superman's hulking form had even danced at one point and Barry's worst fears were realized as Oliver and Hal hit it off immediately. Oliver was pissed that Lena, sometimes joined by Roy, had been patrolling once a week with the other hero for six months without his knowledge, but he understood why after a while.

Walking down the corridor, he saw the door to Thea's room still closed, meaning she was probably asleep still. Listening, he heard soft breathing from behind the door and was content he was right, moving on to the next room.

The door was open, so he could clearly see Roy sprawled across the bed. The younger man was still in his clothes from the night before, hair a mess like a bird's nest, obviously having been hauled there and abandoned by someone. The glass of water next to his bed was a kind gesture, so Oliver squinted to see who had left it. 'Drink this, idiot – T' it read; Oliver smiled. Thea was still looking out for him, then. He smirked as he walked on, knowing Roy would just sleep it off, maybe wake later hungry and a little nauseous.

The next room was Barry and Iris', who stayed occasionally – the speedsters could run home in minutes, but Iris didn't have that luxury. She came over if she wasn't working and the boys were working a joint mission, keeping Felicity company in the Foundry on occasion. Right then she was alone in the room, laptop in front of her as she worked, ever vigilant when it came to her job as a reporter, something Oliver respected her for. When he stopped at the door, she looked up.

"Do you want some coffee?" he asked, looking around for Barry but finding his friend absent. He offered a sympathetic smile, "I'm doing the rounds for everyone who's awake."

"Please," Iris nodded. Noticing his glance, she shrugged, "Barry took off this morning to check in with Batman. He said he couldn't sleep, but after what he told me about yesterday, the . . . fear serum," the question was in her voice and he nodded in confirmation. "I'm worried. Barry only ever gets down about a few things, but when he does, it hits him hard."

"Don't worry too much, we'll figure it out. This Scarecrow guy won't be so powerful when I get my hands on him."

"I do worry though," Iris admitted. "I know it's a lot to ask – but would you keep an eye on him and Wally for me? I hate that I can't be there all the time. And I know there's no way to drag them away right now – Wally was jumping in excitement over meeting Superman and Batman yesterday."

Oliver laughed at the image, "You never have to ask, Iris. It's what friends are for."

He nodded to her before moving on, creating a mental checklist in his mind: that was three cups of coffee so far – him, Felicity and Iris. He might need a few more hands to get all the drinks back upstairs.

Across the hall, he checked in on Wally in the kid's usual room. Since Christmas, and especially since he had got his powers and started living with his aunt and uncle, the kid had been staying over with them more and more – not that anyone minded. The freedom seemed new to him; at the beginning he looked almost guilty every time he slept over, going worryingly quiet. Roy and Lena soon put an end to that. Now the Kid had no qualms about spending a night at the Queen's, racing around on the polished floors in his socks and eating a majority of the fridge. Still, he seemed to make the atmosphere brighter.

Right then he was fast asleep, but twitching wildly. Oliver wondered whether that was a speedster habit, or if something was wrong – a nightmare, maybe. He stopped by on Iris again to tell her, hearing her cross to her newphew's room and wake him quietly as he carried on down the corridor.

The only room left was Lena's. Half-open, half-closed, the door lay ajar leaving Oliver to puzzle over if it was safe to open or not to check in on her. When he heard footsteps which were not hers, heavier, but only slightly, he pushed his way in, one fist clenched at his side. He relaxed when he saw it was only Luca, looking startled at the way he had barged in and dropping something hurriedly to the bed.

"Mr. Queen, I – I did not mean to disturb. I only wanted to leave Lena her present – I thought it was too . . . strange to give last night," Luca spluttered out, making Oliver smile. He always looked flustered in front of him whenever they met, and it took a while until Oliver realized she must have told her friend he was the Arrow. Oliver had tried to be mad at her, but couldn't begrudge her a friend – but the original argument had been something. "I was on my way out – will you tell her I said goodbye?"

Oliver nodded, "of course." He noticed what the other man had left on the bed, walking over to examine it – a sword. Like the old French war swords, it was held in a leather sheath and wickedly curved; Oliver pulled it out, seeing the way the blade bent at an odd angle, but was small for his hands. He had a feeling it would fit hers perfectly. "This is a beautiful blade," he commented aloud, choosing not to make a snide remark about buying weaponry for a birthday present, "where did you get it?"

"I know a place," Luca shrugged, the edges of his lips twitching up. "I knew she needed a new one – that's a strong blade, tempered in fire. I had it made special. Do you think she'll like it?"

"Definitely, knowing Lena," Oliver mused. They had considered getting her a sword after her display with Slade, when she had proven her skill with the weapon by slicing bullets out of the air. Eventually it had been decided against – they were more a bow-and-arrow family, and she had been using the Katana she had taken from one of Slade's men anyway, although sparingly, preferring to use a knife or arrow these days. This sword was different, however – it was from a friend, and a different type, Oliver believed. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, "what type of sword is this? I can't quite place it."

"That?" Luca gave a quiet laugh, "that's a Sabre."

Olive nodded and considered the blade a moment longer, testing its weight in his hands. It was perfectly balanced, a swiping sort of weapon – then he noticed a small inscription carved into the metal. The message was in Spanish, and was obviously meant as a message between the two.

"What does-" Oliver turned, cut off from asking what it meant. Luca was gone. Shaking his head, Oliver turned back to replace the sword in his sheath, smiling as he did. He didn't think he'd ever understand the pair, but they obviously understood one another.

Sabre was the French spelling, but most people would make a Star Wars joke and call them Saber's nowadays; he smiled at the thought.

Saber. Somehow, that suited Lena down to the ground. As her not having a name since the media had yet to capture an image of her thanks to the bracelet they'd given her for Christmas was beginning to be an issue, he thought he might suggest that one next time he saw her.

The Arrow and the Saber. It just made sense.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Lena asked, abandoning Hal to be an idiot before crossing over to the scientist and leaning against him. She put her head on Barry's and wrapped her arms around his shoulder like a monkey, gentle but a presence he couldn't ignore. He didn't react however, so she clung on tightly and revealed. "Iris text me; she said you were being mopey. You're never mopey – you're Barry! You're supposed to be the light in the darkness with your optimism. So what's up?"

Barry huffed, leaning up from the table. He didn't try to move from the half-hug he was encased in. "I think we're both here for the same reason, no matter what you let Hal think," he answered quietly, and felt Lena go still behind him. "I know it's easier to lie and pretend it's something stupid, but admit it – we both couldn't sleep."

"I did, actually," she answered unhappily, "passed out for about an hour. It wasn't pleasant."

"Nightmares?"

"I think it's just a leftover effect from the fear serum."

"Me too," Barry agreed. "I've felt strange all night – I couldn't sleep at all. It's like I can feel there's something wrong in my bones. I didn't mean to worry Iris, really. But if I can just figure this out-"

"You need to take a break, B," Lena scolded him. Tugging on his neck until he reluctantly got up, she began to guide the exhausted man towards the Zeta tube. "Later on, when you've rested your mind a little, you can come back and work again. But you're fried. It won't help anyone if you run yourself down to the ground."

Barry still frowned worriedly, "What about Wally and Roy? Do you think they're alright?"

"Last time I saw Roy he was holding a bottle of tequila like it was a baby, he's out like a light. And it will either wear off or we'll find an anti-serum by the time Wally notices anything is wrong, I promise. Nothing is going to happen except we get better. You're too important to me."

"You really know how to make people feel better," Barry laughed under his breath, putting an arm around her as they staggered together towards the exit. "Where are we going, then?"

"Breakfast?"

"Sounds amazing."

Batman cut in before they could leave, pointing towards Hal. "Could you take him somewhere else? He won't stop playing the ukulele."

The Dark Knight's tone was tired, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. He barely inclined himself towards her as he spoke, Lena then realising she hadn't made the best impression just – her first actual conversation with him. She operated mainly on making people like her so she could get away with things, and she had a feeling Batman was stiff with the rules so she would need him on her side.

Lena waved for Barry and Hal to carry on without her, walking cautiously towards him. "That's why I'm here actually, I thought we could all grab some breakfast."

"I'm busy."

"Right," she commented. "Did you go home at all?"

Batman grumbled under his breath before he answered, "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"You're right, it isn't," Lena agreed, holding up her hands. "You found anything?"

"I don't have a current location for Scarecrow, nor can I think of a reason for him attacking so openly now. I can see now that I have been too liberally supporting Batman – but I had no idea it would make me a target. They must be desperate to go to such measures."

"Most men are desperate, that's what makes 'em do things like this," Lena mused, biting her lip. Her gaze crossed away thoughtfully, becoming detached and misty. "As to why the sudden attack to lure out Batman – you'll have to fill me in on that. You pissed anyone off recently?"

"Only Gotham's scum. But that's nothing new."

"I don't know about you, but to me it looks like Batman was only the partial target in that case. Which suggests-"

"They know some heroes are thinking of working together," Batman finished for her. He nodded, accepting that it could be true. "I'll look into it. If they did use our meeting as a chance to attack us, then we need to be more careful – you can't just walk in here without a mask on anymore."

"I didn't, I zeta'd."

"How did you get authorisation? We haven't assigned you access codes yet!"

"Oh," she flushed under his furious gaze, "Felicity might have given us all basic codes to use the Zeta tubes yesterday after we got back, in case we ever needed to come back here." Batman sighed heavily in response, and Lena felt bad. It might not have meant anything to them – but for Batman, this place was obviously meant to be safe – she and Felicity had kind of flaunted that it wasn't. He must have been having a pretty bad day too, with his kids being attacked. She cringed, "I'm sorry. I don't think I said it yesterday, but I'm sorry that happened – nobody deserves to be targeted like that. But for what it's worth, which I realize isn't a lot – your kids are brave and smart, I think they'd be able to hold their own."

Although Batman was turned away from her, she could hear amusement in his reply. "Of course they would. _I_ trained them."

"Okay, don't go getting a big head, Batsy," she laughed, glad there didn't seem to be any bad blood between them. She frowned, "you should still take a break, not that it's any of my business. There's plenty of time to work this out."

"I'm fine."

Lena's face twitched into a sad smile, "Alright. If you change your mind, we'll be in Coast – look for the dingiest diner on the outskirts of town."

She turned to leave, keying in a code to the Zeta tube and hearing it power up with a hum. The newly twenty year old girl looked incredibly tired, coat around her shoulders making her look even tinier, although it hid the party dress she had yet to change from. Her hair, straight the night before, was waved and messy, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The nightmares were bad enough – but what was worse was that she didn't think they'd be going away any time soon.

Last night had been honestly happy. For a few hours, she had been able to forget the day and really relax, laughing with her family and friends, old and new. Superman showing up, his only disguise apparently a pair of nerdy glasses, had been a highlight for them all. It was good.

The morning brought back all the bad.

She was about to leave to follow Hal and Barry, feeling the edges of light surrounding her, when Batman turned towards her again. It was only a slight incline of his head, but she noticed. "I was wrong," his gravelly voice admitted. "You are like your sister."

When Lena stepped out of the Zeta tube at Coast City she felt a lot better. Her two honorary uncles were sitting on a small wall just outside of the small room surrounding the tube, laughing about something together, Hal drunk and Barry trying. The usual. At the sight, Lena forced a smile onto her face. It was May, and if she'd learnt anything this year it was that nothing was impossible when they put their minds to it. If something really was wrong with them because of the fear serum, they would fix it, she had to believe that, and then they'd get some revenge.

But before all of that, they were in desperate need of breakfast. Maybe that was the best place to start.

* * *

**A/N: **_sorry for not updating yesterday, I was at the Edinburgh Fringe festival on saturday so I spent yesterday sleeping and aching from all the walking. But good news: I only have about 12 chapters left of this to write, and after that I can post them all pretty quickly! not gonna lie, this chapter is titled after the starkid song. let me know what you think, as always, dear readers._


	9. Worthy

** Disclaimer: I don't own anything, yada yada yada . . .**

* * *

**'Worthy'**

Things got done quickly when Batman was involved, something team Arrow learnt the hard way that summer.

Almost every part of their free time which wasn't spent patrolling was spent at Mount Justice, finalizing the conditions of the League and doing various press releases stating their intentions to protect the earth. The media had a field day the first day the group had appeared together, their photos making the front pages the following day, much to the amusement of their friends behind the scenes. Felicity had tacked a copy of the picture onto her computers both at the Foundry and onto the main computer at Mount Justice. A month passed in the blink of an eye – an eventful month at that.

They tracked Scarecrow throughout Europe, trying to pin down the elusive villain, who seemed to be two steps ahead of them at all times; they almost caught him a few times, finding labs evacuated just hours before – but no sign of the man in charge. Tensions ran high, but laughter cut through it often – genuine friends were being made, most of all by the 'kids' of the League, who took every opportunity to mock their mentors and band together. They spent most days together since it was summer and they had pretty much given up on their working lives at this point.

Tim Drake had the worst time of it. Knowing they were trying to lure the Batman out of hiding by attacking his supporters and allies, he and the Wayne's had been forced into a sort of isolation – as far as the press knew, they were holed up in Wayne Manor and nobody but Bruce Wayne had left in a few weeks.

The truth was, Tim had been forced to drop out of the summer school programs he had signed up for and had been either in the manor or Mount Justice for the past month. Bruce didn't want to let any of them out anymore, something he, Dick and Barbara had had a full-scale argument over, and was watching them all like a hawk.

As the only one officially adopted by Bruce and underage, Tim didn't have much choice in the matter. He was either kept company by the other young heroes at the Mountain or alone at home – every single day. He missed having a life outside being Robin – the only freedom he got these days was patrols, but even the Bruce insisted on him staying much closer than usual. He needed desperately to get outside.

In the middle of June, he was at Mount Justice, notably alone. Barbara and Felicity were there, like they had been every day for weeks, working away tirelessly at the computers, and he knew the Green Lantern was asleep in the kitchen. Tim didn't want to bother any of them. The others had pitied him and started coming by every day to hang out, but today it seemed they all had something else to do – until Wally ran in.

"Hey!" The redhead greeted him enthusiastically, still talking a little fast, not quite slowed down from his run yet. He was vibrating on the spot, grin on his face. "Aretheothershereyet?"

"What?" Tim blinked, trying to decipher the sentence. "No, nobody's here!"

"Yes!"

"Why are you so happy?" the Robin asked, adding, "and either slow down or move a bit, you'll wear a hole in the carpet."

"Oh, right. Sorry," Wally said. He seemed to struggle for a few seconds normal time to calm down, a flash of panic crossing his face when he realized he couldn't slow down. That made him accelerate for a second more before he made himself breathe, finally slowing his beating heart to a semi-normal pace and regaining control of his limbs until they became still. He blinked a few times, confused at his lack of control before noticing the other boy was still waiting for an answer. "I was racing the others," Wally explained, "I bet Lena 20 bucks I could run here faster than they could Zeta."

Sure enough, the Zeta tube in the mountain hummed into life and moment later. It flashed, after which Lena and Roy ran out of the tube until they saw Wally. Cursing loudly, Lena pulled a bill out of her back pocket and handed it to him.

Wally smirked smugly, waving the money around, "it was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Told you he was a little shit," Roy laughed, but not in an unkind way. He nudged Lena in the ribs as he spoke, head thrown back in a laugh which made Wally's grin all the wider – it was the kind of comfortable teasing that came with time. They were slowly building it up with their new team.

"Where is everyone? I've never seen it so dead in here," Lena asked, looking around.

Tim listed off people on his fingers, "Your sister and Babs are up to their eyeballs in blood work; the main League members are meeting with the president, except for GL who is asleep in the kitchen; Dick's at work; Steph is on her way; Kara had to go home to the Kent's for the rest of summer. And I am course am here, as I have been for the past month straight."

"Getting fed up of being on lockdown?" she asked sympathetically.

"I was fed up of it two weeks ago. _Now _I'm going stir crazy."

"Let's see if we can find something fun to do, then."

Lena charged off, and without anything better to do, the boys all followed her until she got to the kitchen. Sure enough, Hal was asleep at the counter, face planted onto the cold surface and gently snoring. Wally snickered just at the sight. Then she tried to wake him, only to be swatted away; rolling her eyes, she calmly filled a cup with water from the tap – and dumped the contents onto the Lantern's head.

"Whazat?" Hal sat straight up in a scared daze, flinching awake with a cry and sending out a beam of light from his power ring. They all knew to duck except Tim, who was very glad that Roy pulled him down, the beam passing harmlessly over their heads. Hal came to his senses and glared at them, spotting the cup in Lena's hand and looking like he wanted to kill her. "You're a jerk, Smoak. What the hell was that for?"

"The kids are bored," she shrugged in reply, grabbing an apple from somewhere in the kitchen and biting into it, "entertain them."

"I protect our galaxy, I'm not a babysitter!"

"You are when everyone else is meeting the president. Aren't you supposed to be there? Now, I _could _call Batman and tell him you were absent because you were napping, or you could teach these guys something new and spew him some crap about trying to train us and loosing track of time."

She made the threat so simply and innocently, still taking random bites from the apple and looking at Hal with big, wide eyes. He hated her. A silent staring contest ensued between the two for about ten seconds before the Lantern gave in and sighed, slamming one hand against the kitchen countertop.

"Fine, get down to the gym in five. I'll see if I can teach you punks anything – starting with how to be a decent human being," he gave in, still giving her a stern look, to which Lena just grinned back. Tim felt himself grin at the prospect of being trained by another actual hero; Roy and Wally exchanged a high-five behind their backs. "Go on, give me five minutes to get ready."

"Thanks, Glowtick," Lena beamed, rushing forwards to kiss him on the cheek before heading out of the room with the others, "you're the best!"

"And you're the worst," Hal replied, wiping away his cheek and trying to maintain his glare. It was hard. "You're going to pay for this when I get down there."

"Looking forward to it already!"

The kids scampered off with matching grins and snickers of laughter, as Hal considered the water down turning his grey shirt black, shaking his head like a dog in an attempt to stop it from dripping uncomfortably down his back. It didn't work. With a groan, Hal slammed his head back down onto the kitchen counter.

* * *

They found something at around midday. Felicity and Barbara had been looking up what sort of conditions would be necessary to manufacture the fear serum – they'd need a lab of a decent size, easily concealed but within the right distances to get the components. With the pattern they had been following around the country, the producers were currently mobile, which meant they must already have a large quantity of components to manufacture the serum; Felicity was sure the key to catching them lay in tracking an order of chemicals.

Which is why they finally needed to get this blood work done. The only chemical they had managed to isolate so far was an unorthodox new chemical created by StarLabs called G23: upon looking into the labs records, they found out a large quantity of the chemical had been stolen four months previously from the Gotham branch of StarLabs. Catch the thief, and Felicity was pretty sure they'd find Scarecrow.

While Barbara continued to work the blood, Felicity was working on tracking the thieves.

She had started going over the case a week ago, making her way through the police files on the robbery, company records, every inch of any notes made around that time – it was slow work. Felicity much preferred running missions to this paper pushing, but she knew it had to be done. Everyone else was too busy with formalities at the moment. But she and Barbara were working the case together while everything else happened around them, becoming quite good friends in the process through long nights spent in front of the same computer going over file after file.

"Now that _is_ interesting," she commented, pulling up an employment file from the time of the robbery. Personnel had been number four of things they intended to check and she had only just gotten around to it – and one file in particular caught her eye.

"What is?" Barbara asked, swinging around on her wheelchair as Felicity pulled up the file she was currently reading. The redhead scanned it then sat back, "damn. That really is interesting."

Felicity tilted her head to the side, "told you."

The file was the employment record from the month of the robbery, which stood out for two reasons. One: the man started working for StarLabs three weeks before the robbery. Two: his employment with them was terminated three days after the G23 was stolen. It was suspicious enough to check twice. The man's name was Carter Harris.

"It could be a coincidence," Barbara reasoned, pressing her fingers to her lips as she read the file again. "I mean, I know the cops can be useless sometimes, but even they would've noticed something as obvious as this. Was he ever arrested?"

"That's the strange thing – all evidence of his employment was eradicated from StarLabs files," Felicity said, starting to speak quicker as she got more interested, waving her hands as she spoke. Putting them to better use as she explained, she searched the man's name through a selection of criminal databases. "I hack to hack through a layer of inscription in StarLabs own server which hid these files. This is all there is – a contract with a name – they don't even have a picture. This guy is a ghost."

"A ghost in Iron Heights," Barbara commented, nodding to the screen to draw Felicity's attention back to it.

Her search had come back, revealing 'Carter Hall' was currently in Iron Heights prison for another theft. A picture on the left hand side of his admission form was a picture: Carter was skinny and blonde and completely unforgettable. No wonder he was never a suspect – she highly doubted anyone would even remember him working there.

"Where do we go from here?" Felicity wondered aloud. "Visit him and hope he's in a chatty mood, or see if we can somehow trace who hired him and where the G23 went?"

"Both, preferably. I could drop Batman a message telling him and the League to drop in on Carter on their way back from the White House."

Felicity stifled a chuckle, "all of them? That's just cruel; the poor guy will be terrified."

"Exactly, he might just tell us everything we want to know," Barbara raised her eyebrows. She twisted back to her own computer, speaking a little sadly, "which leaves us to yet again trace the paper trail."

"We're chasing a ghost this time, that's kind of exciting," Felicity chirped, trying to lighten the mood.

When her friend only nodded and huffed in agreement, she recognised the way Barbara sat in disappointment; the hunched shoulders and kind of deflated poise. She sat that way sometimes after missions that had gone wrong. But Barbara hadn't been on a mission in –

Ah, so that was it. She missed the action. Felicity gave a small, sad look to Barbara's back as the other girl busied herself in work, purposefully not turning around. It had never really occurred to her what it must have been like for the other girl to lose the use of her legs so suddenly; it made perfect sense that she would miss being Batgirl.

But Barbara was still important. Incredibly so, to Batman and the League she was the eyes in the sky, the brain behind operations – surely she knew that. Felicity frowned. She must know that. If she didn't . . . Felicity returned to her work, but in the back of her mind she began to brainstorm ways to show Barbara Gordon she was still Batgirl – or perhaps she was something greater.

* * *

Hal got beeped to the main meeting room a few hours after he'd started training with the kids. It had been fun, actually. He'd created a series of challenges with his ring constructs for them to engage with or run through, in the event of the super-lantern assault course he'd created. Watching them run about, fighting his constructs and generally seeing if they had the endurance to keep fighting even if there was no chance of them winning had been interesting for him to see; they had heart, he couldn't deny.

Wally and Lena dominated. Both of them had been to Oa and been put to the test by him and other lanterns before, so walked right through all of his constructs while the others floundered to defeat them. They had spent most of the session watching with him from on top of one of the constructs as their friends struggled through the courses, laughing their heads off or occasionally shouting support.

Both of them would be good members of the corps. It was a shame that Barry had forbid Wally from accepting a Green Lantern ring, claiming that there was no way he was letting a sixteen year old join the corps when the two speedsters had visited a while back.

Lena had practised with a ring on several occasions now, completing Lantern boot-camp for kicks when she spent two weeks on Oa with Hal back in April. She'd passed quite well. A lot of people had come to meet her, knowing Hal and for some reason there was always a hype when humans visited, which made no sense to him. They never gushed around_ him_ like that. Not that he was jealous (he was). Although she had occasionally struggled, Lena had finished the boot-camp relatively quickly, never once giving in at the range of constructs all of the Lantern instructors had fired at her, when even Hal would have given up at times. Her endurance was remarkable.

She had been more impressed by space than her performance. Sleeping on the floor of his apartment on Oa, Hal had woken up to find her gone several times and panicked, only to find her on the roof or somewhere she could stare up at the sky. There were a whole new set of stars above her on Oa. It seemed to hypnotise her, which got her injured on more than one occasion when she stopped paying attention during drills, but honestly Hal had never seen her so relaxed than she had been for those weeks.

He didn't for the life of him understand when she turned down their offer to give her a ring and induct her into the corps.

She'd fed him some line about needing to be with her family but he knew it was a load of crap, he could see it in her eyes. Sometimes, it was like she wasn't even planning for a future. Not wanting to accept the responsibility of being a Lantern. Not picking a hero name. Not making any attempt to move from where she was now.

It worried him, but when he'd tried to talk to Barry about it, the speedster had completely shut him out. For nearly everyone, the idea of a future without her was unthinkable. So they all carried on like it was all fine. (It wasn't).

"What's going on?" he asked when he approached Felicity and Barbara, the kids trailing after him, some with towels wrapped around their necks to mop up the sweat, Roy in particular looking horrendous after the training, and trying to hug Lena when she had pointed that out. She had shoved him away to avoid a sweaty embrace, running over to her sister at the computers for safety.

"We might actually have a job for you," Felicity said, swivelling round in her chair. When she saw them, she smirked and tapped Barbara to make her look, and the two looked judgingly at the rest of them, taking in their state of looking like they'd just run a marathon. "If you think you're up to it. Which you don't look like you are. Maybe we should wait for the real heroes to get back."

"Excuse me?" Hal pouted, "I'm fine. It's these kids who can't hack it."

"What do you need us to do?" Lena cut in before a stupid fight could erupt.

"We might have a lead on Scarecrow," Felicity explained, and those words were all it took: the atmosphere in the room completely changed to a serious tone, all laughter falling from their faces and being replaced with the blankness of waiting for orders. "We found a name – Carter Hall – and traced his recent purchases. His name has been put on the lease for several factories and warehouses recently – which is odd, because he's currently in Iron Heights. Three of these factories have already been used to create fear serum – we've been there and just missed them. There are two that haven't come across our radar yet."

"So we check them, see if they're being used," Roy nodded, brow creasing, "okay. Any particular order? Are we splitting up or going together? It would make more sense to split up and cover more ground."

"No," Barbara shook her head. "I can't speak for you guys, but Batman wants Robin to stay here."

"That's not fair!" Tim argued, standing indignantly, "I'm just as qualified as these guys; I should go too!"

"Actually, Wally should stay too," Hal said, looking guilty as the redhead immediately turned to him with a look of betrayal on his face. "Sorry, Kid. I don't think your Uncle would appreciate me sending you off somewhere potentially dangerous."

"Since when do you listen to Uncle Barry?" Wally pointed out, "Robin's right – you can't keep sidelining us. This is our life, too."

"Yeah," Tim agreed, nodding his head as the two faced the others, "We're coming and you can't stop us. I don't care what Batman says, I've been in isolation practically for weeks and I'm sick of it!"

Hal looked defeated, sharing a look with Felicity and the two older kids before sighing heavily, wiping one hand over his eyes. "Fine," he said, tone annoyed, "but we'll all have to go together."

"That's ridiculous," Roy argued, "it could be nothing but a waste of time. Listen, you take Robin and Kid Mouth, you can watch out for them. Lena and I can check the other place by ourselves, we'll be fine."

Hal didn't look certain until Felicity chimed in. "I'll go with them," the oldest Smoak sister shrugged, "It's not high-risk and I can scan for tech as soon as we get there without having to actually search the place. Go, here's the address," she handed Hal a piece of paper, "we'll meet back here in an hour?"

Hal nodded swiftly, turning back to Tim and Wally, "you better suit up. God, Batman's gonna kill me." He was still complaining as they left ten minutes later all in costume to the first address, a factory in Keystone City. It made sense for Wally to go to the address on home ground, as Keystone and Central were neighbours.

This unfortunately left the others with a warehouse in Bludhaven. Roy and Lena quickly got changed and met Felicity at the Zeta tube, Barbara waiting to hand them all comms and tell them she would be watching over both missions. She wished them luck, and they saw her red head turn and glide back towards the computers just as a bright light seized them, and the next thing they knew, Bludhaven air filled their lungs.

Felicity stepped out first and began the short walk to the warehouse. Looking back at the two younger people falling into step with her she couldn't help but smile, "look at this – the old team back together again. What could go wrong?"

* * *

The warehouse passed the tech scan, but they decided to check inside too, just in case. It was better to check than to miss their biggest chance yet to find Scarecrow.

It was as dingy as they expected inside; corrugated metal walls and walkways between conveyor belts once used to create something creaking underfoot with every step. The paths were also slippery to walk on slick with oil and water dripping from the broken roof caving in above them. Despite it being only late afternoon, Bludhaven, like Gotham, was perpetually grey, and little light filtered in through the ceiling.

Lena took the lead as they walked systematically through the warehouse to check it, Felicity following behind her as Roy took up the rear. As they got to the centre passageway and headed upwards to check the top floors, the conditions inside got even worse. The stairs were rocky at best much to Felicity's constant panic; she hated being on the upper levels, jumping every time the floor creaked for fear of falling.

Roy was just trying not to step in anything, bow drawn and ready, "Why do criminals always pick places like this to meet? They have the money for somewhere nicer. This place is just . . ."

"Too spooky for ya?" Lena laughed, swinging around to poke him in the side with the tip of her sword. She knew his uniform was too thick to accidentally pierce. This whole mission was starting to be a joke, another lose end leading to nowhere: if she didn't start joking about, she knew she'd get frustrated easily at their lack of progress. "Don't worry, I'm here to protect you, baby."

"You're frickin' hilarious," Roy scowled, kicking her to keep moving as they made their way through the top floor, which didn't even have the conveyors or machines like they did downstairs, just a long walkway with a drop either side. Felicity hated this floor.

"I don't need you to tell me that."

"Why, no one else does."

"Wow, Harper thinks he's a sass-master today," Lena leered him his face, grinning cockily, "yet you still flunked out on Hal's training this morning. Remind me, how long did it take me to do it?"

"Twenty minutes," Roy bit out grumpily, pouting, "I still can't believe you went to Oa and didn't tell me. Wally too. Little ginger traitor."

"You love that Kid."

"Shut up."

"Let's just get this done with quickly," Felicity suggested, ignoring their antics to make a beeline for the staircase at the opposite end, eager to leave. It was in her haste that she missed the shadows moving in front of her, walking with her head down and trying not to look over the edges. Behind her, Lena and Roy grinned at one another before following her.

When Slade Wilson appeared at the staircase they were heading for, stepping out of the shadows enough for them to see an eye-patch and the glint of a sword, Felicity stopped dead in her tracks. Fear crossed over her face as she felt her heart stop, not even able to hide the terror she felt right then.

"Slade," the name left her mouth in a breath as he levelled a gun at them, but before he could even think about shooting or her about running, Felicity felt herself pushed out of the way as Lena and Roy barrelled past her, attacking Slade without reservations.

"Run! Fee, you've got to go - run! Get help!"

The shouting was coming from the fight ahead of her, but Felicity stood rooted, watching it unfold ahead of her. Lena was fighting Slade blade against blade, although his katana was much longer than her sabre, so she was visibly struggling to get close enough to do any real damage, ducking and diving about and trying to trust out and land a decent blow. Even as she watched, Lena wasn't quite fast enough to get away, and cried out in pain when Slade slashed at her arm, leaving it bloody.

That in itself was odd; Lena was never that sloppy. But Felicity didn't have time to dwell on it, the fight moving so quickly her eyes could barely follow it. As her sister stepped back and held her arm in pain, Roy took over the main offence, barrelling into Slade with a mixture of pure energy and a lot of anger.

The message finally sank in as Felicity pulled out her communicator, first hearing Babs already asking nervously what was going on, having heard the fight over the comms. "We need help," Felicity said, stepping back until she was in the shadows and hidden, trying to panic. "Deathstroke is here. We can't – we need-"

"Okay Felicity, I'm sending the others, they're on their way," Barbara told her with forced calm. "Breathe – can you get out?"

"I can't leave them!"

"Then try to stay out of sight, the others are coming, hold on," the other woman repeated from back at Mount Justice, trying to keep all of them calm. But she could hear the grunts and exhales of pain from Lena and Roy, the sounds of the fight, and it sounded like they were losing.

Felicity crouched in the shadows, heart in her mouth. With her training, she could probably help a little in the fight now, but nothing on their level – and she was scared. Slade hated her. She could see it in his cold glare as he'd approached just, and he had every reason to kill her on sight to hurt Oliver. He terrified her. She felt frozen as she watched the fight in the darkness, seeing her friends start to lose.

It started when he grabbed Lena out of thin air. She had used the rails of the walkway as a spring board to laugh herself through the air towards him, sword in hand and face screaming in rage. But he moved fast, catching her in midair, one hand around her throat. Roy was half-collapsed at this point, face pouring with blood but he tried to get to them as Lena's sword clattered onto the metal. He was too slow. With a vindictive smile, Slade lifted the small girl higher – then threw her over the edge.

Felicity looked over the side instantaneously, seeing her sister hit the floor below before it caved on impact and she fell out of sight. Lena screamed as she fell, but Felicity was silenced, petrified. The screaming stopped after a few seconds – replaced by Roy's cry of rage.

A red blur attacked Slade as Felicity watched. Roy was fist fighting now and usually won – but Slade was powered by the Mirikuru too. They were on equal footing. But Slade had a lot more training on top of the strength. Within a few minutes, Roy's face was bloody and he began to fade, stumbling until he fell, bow flying from his hands and skidding across the walkway. He must have been out cold, because he didn't move after that. But Felicity did – the bow had landed at her feet.

Determined not to let Oliver's training go to waste, Felicity picked up the bow and slowly stood up. Her knees shook violently; for a moment she almost fell down again, but she remembered what Oliver had told her before. She was strong. She could help. She was brave – she just had to let herself be.

Felicity stepped out into the light to face Slade, lip trembling as she notched one of the fallen arrows and took aim right at his chest. She walked slowly but purposefully forwards, hoping to protect Roy, who still wasn't moving. When he saw her, Slade just laughed.

"Do you even know how to use that?" he mocked, making no move to attack as she advanced, refusing to let her fear show as she kept the bow steady, Oliver's voice correcting her every micro-movement in her head. Slade sneered, "I doubt it. Even if Oliver had enough wits about him to teach you, there's no way you will shoot me. You lack the conviction to take a life."

"Stop! Don't move, or I_ will_ put an arrow in you," Felicity threatened, voice only shaking on her first yelled phrase. Looking into Slade's eyes, which were dark and unfeeling, she forced down her emotions into a cold, dead calmness. She would not be afraid. She refused to be. Felicity blinked hard, and even Slade stayed still a moment, sensing the change in her. "Oliver should have killed you when he had the chance. But you – you just hurt my little sister. If you make a move," Felicity flexed her fingers on the bow, "I won't hesitate."

"So you've got fight . . . more than the last time we met. I seem to remember you screaming and helpless then." The corner of Slade's mouth twitched up, a huff of breath left him in what could have been a chuckle as he stared her down. Felicity tried not to flinch at the memory. "This is what Oliver does – he poisons people."

"He made me stronger! The only poison around here is you, Slade. Why can't you just let it go?"

"Because he hasn't suffered enough yet."

"His mothers in a coma," Felicity tried to keep her emotions in check, but her voice quavered, "he's suffered. We all have. This won't end well for you – even if you manage to kill me, he'll never stop coming for you, not after that. The only way this ends is with you dead."

"Or him."

"Oliver's not that easy to kill."

The conviction with which she spoke surprised him, the words accompanied by the tilt of her head and what was almost a smile, as did the acceptance that he could kill her. The blonde was fierce in a quiet way, causing Slade to worry for a moment that he had underestimated Felicity Smoak.

Her hands did not shake as he held the bow tight, her eyes piercing him with a singular intensity he could only assume she had picked up from Oliver. As she stood on that walkway, her team-mates scattered around her, Felicity believed she was brave, or at least was trying to be. Maybe that was all it took.

"I have to take Oliver's heart," Slade spoke up coldly, moving again, "that's you."

The second he moved, Felicity let her arrow fly, watching as it twisted through the air until it reached its mark. Her aim was not perfect yet, but she and Oliver were working on that. As it was, the arrow did not hit Slade between the eyes as she had planned, but sliced open the side of his neck.

One of his hands clamped over it and she could see the shock in Slade's eyes as he realized he was injured, blood seeping from under his fingers as he staggered backwards as she reached for another arrow. Fury was the only thing which fuelled her to let that one fly, sticking into his shoulder above his collarbone. The pain of this hit was apparently too much, as Deathstroke forced himself to charge towards her with a scream of anger, Felicity not having enough time to grab a third arrow before he attacked – she closed her eyes, waiting for the hit.

It never came. She felt someone land on the walkway right in front of her, the metal creaking loudly and shaking under the new weight before she heard Slade grunt, his voice further away from her. Opening her eyes again, Felicity saw a dark haired figure in a blue and black suit standing protectively in front of her, a baton-like stick in each hand, crackling with electricity.

Nightwing.

He must have kicked Slade in the chest, for the much larger man was staggering away again, realizing this wasn't a fight he could win with the injuries he had sustained; he sent Felicity one last venomous look before he jumped over the railings, disappearing below. If they had pursued straight away they may have caught him, but as it was Nightwing turned to her with a look of concern, placing a kind hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and Felicity nodded shakily, barely trusting herself to speak right then. Thank God Dick Grayson was a people person, as he read her unease immediately and followed her gaze to Roy, who was still lying beaten badly on the walkway. Nightwing crossed over to him, checking his airways just as the rest of their backup arrived via the skylight – Hal flew in, carrying Tim and Wally in a ring construct.

The Lantern landed quickly and took it all in, from the blood splattered on the floor to Roy's unconscious form to Felicity, still standing in shock and gripping a bow. As Wally and Tim stooped to help Roy, he walked over to her, gently taking the bow out of her hands and dropping it to the floor.

"It's okay, it's over," Hal told her firmly, looking her in the eyes, "you did good, Felicity. Real good. Where's our sister?"

"She fell," Felicity remembered, feeling hot tears fall down her face as she finally went weak, gripping on to the rail beside her. Without it she was sure she would have crumbled. Her heart began to race, free from the calm she had forced onto herself during the exchange with Slade and the world suddenly crashed down around her. Oh God, Lena had fallen so far . . . "Slade threw her over the edge, you've got to help her!"

"I've got her, don't worry," the Lantern replied, flying off and through the whole in the floor in seconds. She didn't take her eyes from the space until he reappeared a few minutes later, Lena's form in his arms, cradled like a child. Had she been awake, Felicity had no doubt her sister would have something to say about that, but her sister's eyes were closed as Hal landed back on the platform, carrying her with ease. Felicity ran over to him, sobbing as she stroked her little sister's hair and saw the blood matted into it. Hal knew he had to calm her, "she's gonna be fine, Felicity. I scanned her with my ring and there's no permanent damage. She knocked herself silly when she landed and she'll be bruised as hell tomorrow when she wakes up, but she'll be alright."

"Thank you," Felicity choked out.

"Don't thank me – you're the one who fought Slade Wilson alone. You did it."

"Roy should be fine too, if this Mirikuru is as good as you say it is," Nightwing called over, but a small frown creased his lips, "but he is hurt – we need to get him to the med bay at Mount Justice, put him on life support until his healing kicks in. I'm worried one of his lungs collapsed during the fight."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's treatable, and he should heal alone anyway. We should get him back quickly as a precaution."

"Let's roll," Hal announced, moving so his ring created a stretcher for Roy; Dick came over and took Lena from his arms, the lighter of the two, and didn't seem strained at all as they all began to walk over to the staircase to leave, Roy floating in front of them suspended on the green translucent light. They were so busy being cautious with their patients that nobody noticed that Felicity hadn't moved: one hand locked to the railing while the other covered her face, trying to compose herself. She was scared and relived and the tears wouldn't stop coming.

Wally finally noticed she hadn't moved. He walked quietly back over to her and pulled her hand off the railing, sending her a small smile as he tugged her hand until she walked towards the exit, feet like lead. But to the Kid, she was amazing. He had always thought of his Uncle and Oliver as the heroes – but Felicity was too. She must have been all along, to fight like that.

"You did it, Aunt Felicity," Wally told her kindly as they stepped out into the sunlight, headed straight for the nearest Zeta tube. "They're going to be alright – that was amazing. You saved them. You're a hero."

* * *

**A/N: I know this is late, I'm sorry. also this will be the last update until next Saturday because I'm away for a week. while I'm away I'm going to try and finish this up once and for all, however, because at this point I think people have lost interest and I have a few other ideas I'm working on. But to make up for it, this chapter was double length and Felicity freakin' Smoak was an absolute BAMF. Felicity kicking Slade's ass was such fun to write, although the other important piece of info here was Lena being worthy to use a Lantern ring, no matter what she thinks of herself. So question: do I make my next project to be the Arrow/Blue Beetle story I've already started, or a Young Justice birdflash idea I've had for a while? which would you rather read first? Thanks for any and all input! **


	10. Three steps back

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC comics.**

* * *

**'****Three steps back'**

Two days later, Felicity was sitting in the Foundry. She had been spending more time in Mount Justice in the last month, but being back reminded her why she loved this place – the chair was moulded perfectly to fit her after years of use, the computer system was hers alone – and thank God, she didn't have to keep up with any small talk. Barbara she could talk to like a friend by now, but some of the others were so intimidating, polite or downright awkward to pass the time with. For the first time in a while, she had nobody to force a conversation with and Felicity was extremely pleased about that.

People had been trying to get her to 'talk' for two days. Ever since Slade had attacked again and she'd gone into shock for a few hours, people had been 'stopping by' her desk at Mount Justice to see 'how are you holding up?'. They always asked with the talking-to-a-child voice and tilt of the head. She always answered with a toneless 'I'm fine' then found some work to do so she could justify not expanding on that answer.

The only person not to ask that way was Oliver. He didn't need to ask. When he had seen her, they had just hugged before sitting in silence for a couple of hours at the medical bay, watching over Lena and Roy, who were still unconscious. They didn't need to talk. But she was eternally grateful that he never let go of her hand the entire time.

Because, of course, she was not okay. Far from it. Felicity was terrified, again. And most of all, more than she would ever admit, she was angry. Hands-shaking, blood-boiling, want-to-punch-the-lights-out of Slade Wilson angry; which was something. Felicity rarely hated people. It was against her nature to believe any rational human being was too far from saving, but Slade Wilson might just be the only exception. He was diabolical.

She couldn't believe he'd done it again. Slade disappeared long enough for them to finally feel safe, to believe they could have a life, then came out of nowhere and attacked them again. First Moira. Now Roy would take at least a month to heal from the beating he'd received. They couldn't go on like this, it wasn't fair. Slade had the upper hand _every time_. He picked the battles; they were left with no option but to react and one day he'd get lucky and kill one of them. It would happen. It was inevitable.

Felicity desperately didn't want that to happen.

But, like everyone else did, she was trying to avoid the situation until it wasn't true, refusing to speak about it to anyone but Oliver and wrapping herself up in work to distract herself. They had two cases now, after all: Slade and Scarecrow. One they had to catch, the other . . . at this point, Felicity thought they were running out of options with Slade. There was a time she believed they could stop him, but he would never stop coming, she knew that now. The only choice left was what they did now.

So Felicity pulled up Barry's blood work and threw herself into the Scarecrow case, alone in the Foundry but aware Sara was working just upstairs, something she imagined had been planned, and Oliver was probably watching the security footage from somewhere. Like she was ever truly alone anymore. She should be so lucky.

* * *

Felicity had been working for a few hours when she heard someone coming down the stairs. She was sending Barbara a theory on the effects of the fear serum, but quickly shut her browser at the sound of footsteps. What she thought she had found out was worrying enough as it was – she wasn't ready to show anyone else yet, until they either got results to prove their theory or Barbara convinced her that the theory was ridiculous. Felicity really hoped she was wrong.

She didn't bother to look up. The footsteps were light and obviously female, probably Sara to check up on her again and try and get her to leave, which Felicity was not going to do. In a brisk voice, she determinedly kept her eyes on the screen and asked loudly, "I'm busy, in case none of you noticed. Yes, I'm fine. No, I'm not ready to go home yet. You don't have to stay either. Is there anything I've missed?"

"You're grouchy. I haven't heard a greeting that bad since that time I accidentally broke that picture back home and Oliver wouldn't talk to me for like a week," a wry voice replied. Felicity placed it in a heartbeat, hearing the smirk in the words before turning to see Lena at the foot of the stairs, grinning at her. She didn't look to great – cuts and bruises lined her arms and face, her hair was slightly greasy and she wheezed a little as she spoke, but the younger girl shook her head with a smile at her sister as she walked into the room, wincing a little with each step. "I've never really believed it when people said that couples take on each other's traits, but I'm starting to see it now," she waved a hand about, "never thought I'd find you of all people brooding in here. Oliver's influence is strong with this one."

"I-" Felicity blinked and tried to find her voice. They had been waiting for Lena to wake up for days. Batman had cleared her for internal bleeding, although she was severely bruised, had a couple of broken fingers and a bump on the head the size of the Empire State Building. She was surprised to see her here, "Should you even be out of bed?"

"Probably not."

"_Lena_-"

"I heard you weren't talking to anyone, and I feel fine," Lena protested, finally reaching where her sister had got up and walked to, standing in shock. She smiled again, "your face is a picture, Fee."

Felicity finally came to her senses, putting her hand on her sister's shoulders and guiding them back towards the stairs, "we're taking you back to get checked out. When did you wake up? How did you get past Sara? Hell, how did you get past _Batman_?"

"You know me, it was easy," she laughed, turning until they were no longer walking forwards, putting her own hands on Felicity's shoulders. "I'm not going back. I'll go back when you tell me what's wrong and we talk about you hiding away in here-"

"I'm not hiding-"

"Don't deny it. But not in here, I'm starving - let's get some food. Come on."

With that, Lena steered them both out of the Foundry, past the Zeta tube being constructed in there which wouldn't go online for at least another week and out of the back door rather than through the club. Felicity vaguely worried that Sara might come down and see she was gone and panic, or Oliver might already be coming towards them if he was watching the security footage and had seen Lena was awake.

Although Roy had woken up the day before, pissed and not able to even leave the bed, let alone Mount Justice, her sister must have woken just now. Last time Felicity had checked in that afternoon she had been asleep still.

Worried a little, Felicity watched her sister carefully as they Zeta'd to Central and walked the short distance to a small cafe in the shopping district of the city. Although her strides were shorter than usual and Lena walked slower, holding herself like she was in pain especially around her chest and ribs, like someone had put a straight wire down her spine, Lena never let this discomfort show on her face. Felicity observed that she gritted her teeth and smiled on as they took their seats, ordering herself pancakes, although Felicity opted for coffee and waffles herself.

There was a short wait for their food, as it was approaching nine pm – not quite late but past the dinner rush – during which they were each trying to figure out the other, and how best to start the conversation.

"Felicity-"

"I'm not-" They had both spoken at the same time, Felicity defending herself pre-emptively. After a small laugh passed through each of them at the interruptions, the older girl went on, but more seriously, "I'm not 'brooding' like Oliver. I'm really not, I'm working – it's the only way I know how to distract myself. If I'm not working . . . I – I just get so angry! Slade can't keep doing this, he can't just walk on into our lives and-"

"Woah, Fee. You'll break the cutlery, take it easy," Lena soothed, reaching over to steady her sister's shaking hand, which was gripping her fork with an almost animalistic anger as her words sped up until they were spat out. She touched the hand gently, pushing it down with wide, worried eyes flicking from her sister to the diner's around them. There wasn't anyone sitting close, and unlike the Foundry, she could be sure there was nobody listening in here. Good. It was time she and her sister had an honest talk; just them.

Felicity blinked, seeing for the first time how easily she had gotten worked up, and dropped the fork to the table. Those waffles didn't look so appealing now. Okay, they did a little – anger built up an appetite. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, looking down, "It's just . . . not fair. I was so scared."

"You wanna know something?" Lena asked, and her sister looked up. She twitched a smile, "me too. And there ain't much that scares me, but he did. I thought he was gonna hurt you, and I'll I cared about was getting you safe – it made me sloppy, Fee. What happened to me was my own fault."

"No, don't say that-"

"It was! _I_ let Wilson get the drop on me, _I_ chose to fight angry instead of smart," Lena argued, frankly but fairly. She shrugged, taking a few bites out of her pancakes, which were smothered in so much cream they were barely visible. "I'm not going to beat myself up over it, it's done. I just know you're gonna be blaming yourself, and I don't want you to do that. It wasn't your fault."

"You're not supposed to get hurt, not trying to protect me," Felicity said, feeling like her twisted guts eased up a little at the words. "You're my little sister, I should be the one looking after you, not watching you get hurt . . ."

"From what I heard, you kicked Slade Wilson's ass while I was napping. I'm proud, Fee."

Felicity allowed a small smile to grow on her face at that, looking down at her food and choosing to say nothing. She missed the grin on her sister's face. For a few minutes they ate in silence, aware that time was passing as the cafe got steadily emptier and the sky outside got darker. It wasn't too bad – this time of summer it was light until really late, which had been seriously affecting them on patrol, but outside was inky blue now as the city drifted into sleep.

Felicity felt odd. It took her nearly five minutes to figure out why before she came to the conclusion that she felt _safe_.

She hadn't felt safe in two days.

"How did you know this would work?" she asked, looking over to her sister.

"Huh?"

"Coming here, taking five minutes to have a weird breakfast-dinner – how did you know it would make me feel better?"

"I didn't, really. I just know that everything seems better when you have good food."

Felicity shook her head at her sister's casualness, knowing it was all an act. Then her eyes trailed down to the large bandage on her arm where Slade had nicked her with his sword, and she felt instantly guilty again. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, nodding to it, "doesn't it hurt?"

"Well, a little, but what's another scar, ay?" Lena replied, but although her voice was light, there was a definite sadness to her eyes this time. Felicity frowned a little, which she noticed, quickly covering up, "don't get upset again, Fee. The whole point of this was to get you back to normal. You need to go home, see Oliver – they're all worried about you."

"So you did see someone after you woke up."

"Only Roy. He said that Oliver said that you were acting strange."

"And on that whim, you decided to up and walk out of medical, despite the fact you're obviously in pain and injured?" Felicity's eyebrows jumped up jokingly, "really smart idea."

"I am an outstanding member of our team," Lena grinned back easily again, finishing up her pancakes, "I pride myself on being mood-breaker and able to joke even in the worst of situations. And I meant what I said – you should have been alone, or beating yourself up over it. It wasn't your fault; it wasn't anybody's but Slade's. And isolating yourself – well, it means he wins."

"How can you think it's so simple?" Felicity asked, leaning onto the table and running a hand through her hair. She didn't for the life of her understand how her sister could be so calm. After the medical check, Batman had told them Lena was lucky to be alive after a fall like that – and she didn't seem to care in the slightest. Felicity, on the other hand, couldn't stop obsessing over the details or questioning herself: if she had got the bow sooner, if she had confronted Slade herself, if she had only done more . . .

"Because it is," Lena's voice cut through her thoughts. Felicity looked up quickly, the room growing quieter around them now. Lena was staring at her sister with an odd intensity, an indecisive nature about how she sat, fiddling with her napkin and the edge of words on her moving lips. Putting the napkin down, she spoke honestly, instantly catching Felicity's full attention. "Look, the thing with guys like Slade is that there's more than one way they can take your life. One – they kill you. That one's pretty simple. But they can kill you in another way too, by making you so scared of them you don't live your life – you're so busy obsessing about the past and what's happened that you never move forward. You've got to let go of what's happened. Otherwise . . . you don't live. And they still win that way, you see?"

Felicity thought about it, "I guess so . . ."

"Okay, just this once, I'll use myself as an example. That year I was missing? It was hell. There's no long and short of it – it was bloody and violent . . . I thought I wouldn't survive it at times. But I did. I-"

Lena broke off, voice audibly cracking with emotion, before stopping to take a deep breath, looking down. Felicity didn't know what to do. Her sister had adamantly refused to even say this much about it before, and although curiosity stirred in her, Felicity didn't want to push something so delicate. So she reached over the table to touch her sister's arm, "you don't have to talk about this. I appreciate the gesture – I get it. It's okay, you don't have to-"

"I do," Lena said more forcefully, looking up in determination now "this is the point I'm trying to make. I know, this is my own rule that I don't talk about it, but I want to explain why."

"You really don't have to-"

"I trust you. All of you. I would love to be able to tell you what happened, because although I'm terrified you'll hate me for it, I also know you're my family and I love you. But fear or shame isn't why I don't talk about it. It's power. I chose to move on from that when I signed up with your team, to put aside all that pain and fear and make something better; to do something better. I wanted to help people. I couldn't do that if I was holding onto everything that terrified me with one hand. So I chose instead to put it aside, to choose family over fear. Happiness is the best defiance."

Felicity nodded grimly, "you're saying I have to do the same with Slade."

"Yes! Don't let his actions change your life. You win by refusing to let him make you live in fear – over Oliver like I know you do; hang out with Barbara; fight for what you believe in – the minute you spend more of the day thinking about him than the things you love is the day he's won. Don't let him win."

"It's just . . . it's hard to be who I used to be. I'm scared. I think about what Slade could do and-"

"Don't. I'm alive, Fee. Roy's alive. You fought Slade Wilson and won. Oliver is pacing at home right now waiting for you – all you have to do is let it go, go home and be with him. Watch a movie. Go out for a second dinner. Smile because you're winning, no matter what Slade thinks he can do to us."

"He could kill us any time," Felicity pointed out glumly.

"Then don't waste a second," Lena countered passionately, "Live, even when they don't want you to. If they want you dead, make sure you have the biggest impact you can – save people. Save a hundred people."

She smiled, "You're the ones who save people."

"We couldn't do it without you, dummy," Lena rolled her eyes. She let out a huffed breath, confessing, "Every day, I get up and smile. Even if I've had nightmares or haven't slept, I force myself to smile until it becomes real. It usually doesn't take very long. My family makes me happy. If I'd have given in and died on that year, I'd have never have found that. The only control they have on me now is what I allow them in my fear; so I try not to be afraid, not anymore. That's why I don't talk about it. It's not a matter of trust – it's me, deciding not to let it rule my life. The future is so much more promising than the past, Fee." She shook her head, "hell, the present might be even better. Every time I laugh with Roy or watch Wally beat everyone at videogames or fly over our home town with Hal or get dinner with Luca or shoot arrows with Oliver – those are my biggest victories. Genuinely, with all my heart, they are. Because I never thought I'd be happy again."

"And you are?"

"Yeah, Fee, I am." Lena coughed a little when she laughed, "That's how I move on, how I stop them from winning. I don't let them rule my life. If they had their way, I'd be broken and a weapon and . . . not me. But I survived. And just by living now, happy and surrounded by people I love – I win. We win." Speech over, she sat back in her seat again, having leant forwards to speak before, hands waving and eyes burning. Lena flushed a little as she stopped, shrugging. "I'm sorry. That still might make no sense . . . but it does to me. Then again, I tried giving Oliver advice not long ago, and that didn't go too well. He laughed at me for like ten minutes. I'm not very good at it."

"I think you're better than you think you are," Felicity smiled genuinely. She really got it. And she was thankful her sister broke her own rules to send that message . . . she was less curious about the year now, although she still worried what impact it might have had on her sister, beneath the surface of all this talk about moving on and fighting. Perhaps all Lena was doing was trying to forget. Maybe trying was all any of them could do. "I think I get it now."

"Then you should go home, Oliver's waiting for you. Just remember, Fee – keep your head high, and your fists higher."

* * *

When Felicity walked through the front door half an hour later, dropping her bag on the chair just inside the doorway and realizing she was bone tired, she felt a lot better. She was determined now to live – in both senses of the word. She was smiling widely as she walked through Queen Mansion, heels clicking softly on the hardwood floor to announce her entrance; Oliver was sitting on the couch watching the news but looked up with a smirk as she walked in.

"Hey," he grinned softly, leaning his head back on the couch cushions and craning his neck round to look at her. She stopped at the back of the couch to kiss him on the forehead leading to him asking, "What was that for?"

"Because I love you," Felicity replied simply, "and nobody's going to change that."

"I knew it! I knew she'd be able to talk you round."

At his cocky grin, she stood again and gaped, mouth open and one hand on her hip. A smile fought it's way on and off her face. "You both planned this! I - I should have known."

"It wasn't so much of a plan, more me distracting Bats so she could sneak out – the rest I left up to her," Oliver explained, getting up and walking around the couch so her could stand in front of her. He took her hand, but when she pulled it away they ended up laughing and play fighting until he finally held both of her hands in his own, warm and encased. He expanded, "I knew she had the best chance of getting you back to normal. I'm glad she managed it – really, are you okay?"

"I'm going to be, I am. No matter how many times Slade tries to take it away from me, I will be happy, I swear it," Felicity said determinedly. When he looked confused by the statement, she shrugged and repeated, "Happiness is the best defence."

"I like the sound of that."

"Hmmnn," Felicity leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder as they stood, "I'm sorry for acting weird the past few days. I was just mad and . . . worried and scared-"

"Shhhhhh, it's okay. I understand," Oliver told her, brining one of his hands up to her face before gently stroking her hair, one hand wrapped around a curl. His voice was low and soothing; all of the Arrow's harshness gone, as it always was when Felicity was in the room. "I know it's hard. I'm sorry about that. I'm even more sorry that life with me – it's always gonna be hard."

"Is this the clichéd moment when I say 'I wouldn't have it any other way'?"

He laughed, leaning back, "why don't we gather up every pillow and blanket in the house, pile them on the couch, put on a movie and try and get some sleep? Take a night off, just for us?"

Felicity nodded, "I'll pick a movie, you get the blankets?"

"Deal. I'll order pizza too, you must be hungry."

Felicity had just eaten a stack of waffles the size of her head . . . but Oliver didn't know that. She grinned as soon as her back was turned, "I'm starving – get stuffed crust. Might as well go all out. This may be our last night off for a while, especially alone."

"In that case, I'll open a bottle of wine too."

"Lena and Roy will be pissed we had such a good time with them gone."

Oliver grinned from the hallway, phone cradled under one ear, "then we won't tell them. Hello? I'd like to order a veggie pizza please . . ."

They were snuggled up on the couch not long after that, many blankets and pillows stacked around them like a fort; the lights were out, only the TV's blue light illuminating their faces. Oliver had one arm around Felicity, her hair soft against his skin as she leaned into him, fingers curled protectively into the fluffy fabric of her pyjamas. At one point in the movie, Oliver laughed at something and looked over to find her asleep, face peaceful for the first time in days. Gently, he took off her glasses and shifted the pillows so she was lying down, still holding her as he turned the TV volume down to a comforting lull, listening to the sound of her breathing until his own eyelids grew heavy, and they slept soundly.

* * *

**A/N: thanks for sticking with me while I was away! have a very Felicity focused chapter, some more of Lena's bad advice and olicity movie night as a reward. okay, I didn't finish this story while I was away, I didn't even finish a single chapter. Too busy. But I will try to in the next two weeks before I go back to college and my free time goes down to zero. to the anon reviewer who asked why Lena lost her second fight against Slade . . . well, you'll find out next chapter. review as always!**


	11. Already all of these things

**Disclaimer: All rights go to DC and the CW. I'm just a kid with too much time on my hands.**

* * *

**'Already all of these things'**

Lena loved Wally and Tim. Really she did. They were the annoying, adorable and occasionally badass little cousins she never had, and for the most part she enjoyed spending time with them. But they were also the two smartest people she'd ever met. Tim was a downright genius and Wally could recite ten thousand facts about science so fast it'd make your head spin. When they got together and started discussing something, she was always left totally clueless and about ten words behind, standing dumbfounded in front of the teenagers. It was kind of embarrassing.

Three weeks after the incident with Slade, she was with them in Roy's room in the med bay when they started another such conversation which left her feeling frustrated, and if she were honest – a little jealous.

She'd had to drop out of school to look after her mother, there was no chance of her knowing what they were talking about, but she wished she did. They were talking animatedly; neither Wally nor Tim noticed that as soon as they started talking about some new scientific development S.T.A.R Labs had announced Lena went red and quiet, dropping out of the conversation quickly.

Roy was doing better. The Mirikuru had sorted out his internal injuries in the first week, but his body was still so bruised and sore he hadn't been cleared to leave yet, unlike her. He hadn't been out in weeks and looked about ready to stage a break out. At the new conversation topic he groaned aloud, making Lena pat him sympathetically on the arm.

"You'll be out in a few days," she reminded him, "hang in there."

"Ugh," Roy replied. "It's easy for you to say, you got given the all-clear four days after they checked you in! I've been here weeks!"

"Well, I wasn't too hurt – you are. Better to rest up and come back strong than to make it worse in the field."

"But I'm bored."

She shook her head, "I hate to say it, but since the terrible two are on science talk again, I'm out of here. Get some sleep, Harper." Lena got up and left the room with a quick yelp of goodbye, much to Roy's dismay. He couldn't believe it. She was abandoning him! He couldn't leave, and was as confused by Wally and Tim's jabbering as she was – and she was leaving him alone with it. The traitor.

"Hey!" he yelled after her, "what about friendship? And never leaving a man behind?!"

"Every man for himself, that's my motto."

"Traitor!"

"I love you!" she shouted as the door closed behind her, making a heart shape with her hands as he glared at her from the hospital bed. Lena flashed a smile, "poor little soldier – I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

Lena ran through the halls, hearing the string of curses Roy shouted as she left and laughing. She really did hate to leave him there, but she needed to get out before she went insane. It was a Wednesday and late, the night she usually stayed at Luca's every week, but he had called earlier to say he'd been pulled in to cover someone's shift that night. So she was stuck here . . .

"Dick!" she shouted, seeing her friend talking to Felicity and Barbara in front of the giant computer. Dick and Barbara were massive screaming geniuses too, but Felicity took the brunt of the redheads computer babble and Dick could tone it down most of the time. She was relieved to see them, running over and asking desperately, "they started babbling again. Please, please, please say you need to go patrolling tonight; you said I could come out with you in Bludhaven sometime. I'm begging you, pal."

He laughed, "Alright, alright. What are they talking about this time?"

"I don't know – that's the problem."

"Alright, be back in five," he promised, running away to change into the Nightwing suit. Lena celebrated to herself, earning looks of confusion from the other two women.

"What exactly is happening?" Felicity asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister, who went red and looked away.

"Nothing – it's okay if I go patrolling with Dickiebird, right?"

"Yes, but why? I thought you were keeping Roy company."

"Timmy and Wally started babbling with the science talk again," Lena admitted, biting her lip. Her embarrassment was obvious as she hugged her arms around herself, looking at her shoes, face reddening. "I don't have a clue what they're talking about two thirds of the time, so I jumped ship in hopes of finding someone to beat up instead."

"You know, if you asked they'd explain it to you," Barbara said, lip twitching up kindly in the corner.

"Yeah, but that's . . . weird. They're kids. It doesn't matter anyway."

Felicity looked at her sternly under her glasses, "you'll never learn anything if you don't even try."

"I don't need to learn it," Lena countered, "it's not my thing."

"Your thing?"

"Yeah – like your thing is computers and gadgets, that's what you're good at. I don't need to be good at it because it's your thing – just like I don't need to know this science shit," she shrugged. The movement was a little forced, and Lena kept glancing towards the hall, wishing Dick would hurry it up. "I know my place, and it's kicking ass. I'm good in a fight or for breaking into someplace but not much else. And that's fine."

Felicity opened her mouth to counter that point, but Dick appeared again in his suit and was immediately set upon, dragged to the Zeta tube before he even had chance to say goodbye. Lena marched him there with a vice-like grip on his arm, keying in the codes and waving back at the others just before the beam surrounded them.

"Okay, goodbye Fee, you guys keep up the good work and yeah, see you!" Lena yelled in a jabbered rush, vanishing the moment the last word left her lips.

"I wish she had more faith in herself and less in me," Felicity sighed in the brief silence that followed. She leant back tiredly in her chair, rubbing a hand over her eyes. Bab's patted her arm before going back to work, and dropping Oliver a text asking him to check Lena made it home safe later, Felicity did the same.

* * *

Dick Grayson was in a sticky situation.

He had seen and followed four thugs he'd recognised from on their database for known criminals at large in Gotham – but they had spotted him too. Thinking he was unseen, he had stalked them in the shadows to the entrance of an alley; but then the leader turned and sucker punched him.

Winded, Dick hadn't been on top of his game in the small struggle that followed, having to turn and dodge deeper into the alley. The Bludhaven back alleys and backstreets were home ground to him, so he moved effortlessly as he dashed down the small space in between apartments, jumping over a dumpster with good enough height to turn it into a flip – and in the air, Nightwing was in his element.

"Really, this wasn't a good idea, even for you idiots," he called out flippantly, jumping up and grabbing a fire escape ladder, using the momentum to swing his legs out and kick the leading thug in the chest. The man fell back and took out another of his comrades. "Do I get double points for that one?"

"Meddling scum," one of the men spat, throwing a punch as soon as Dick's feet touched the ground again. He managed to dodge that one, but the second blow caught him in the gut causing him to double over, the pain quick but strong.

After a few seconds, Dick managed to recover himself to the fight, taking out two of the men easily once he'd gotten the space to pull out his Eskrima Sticks, the sight of the electricity pulsing through the weapons enough to make the men pause for a moment.

They still attacked. Criminals were stupid like that.

With a few choice swipes of the sticks, two men lay on the ground, while the third he fought with his fists, a sure kick to the balls putting that one out of commission for now. Grinning in victory, Dick turned to deal with the final man only to find he hadn't been paying enough attention to this assailant – the man had pulled a gun, and levelled it at his head. Shit.

Nightwing froze, and the man laughed. "Not so brave now, are we?"

"I'm not the one you have to worry about," Nightwing laughed casually, apparently unfazed by the gun. He inclined his head to the man's side, "it's her you should be scared of."

The man looked just as a sword appeared at his throat, the cold tickle of steel against his flesh turning his stomach. It was the thugs turn to freeze now. He still had a gun on Nightwing, but knew he was at the disadvantage now. Turning, he saw who held the sword – a girl dressed in black, only green eyes and a few strands of blonde hair visible under a hood and mouth guard. Although he could not see her mouth, the edges of her eyes pinched up and she wore a dangerous look telling him she was smiling maliciously. She waved her fingers at him cheerily.

"Now, you see, this is what we call a standoff," Nightwing supplied, gesturing with his hands. "Technically you still have a gun on me, but if you fired it – I still stand a chance of living, but your chances go down to about zero. Put the gun down, come quietly, and we'll forget this ever happened. Deal?"

"Y-You people don't kill!" The thug shouted, jerking the gun in his direction and ignoring the way the sword pressed tighter into his skin. He didn't know whether it was luck or the girl's skill which had saved his skin from being broken yet. "Batman never kills. You won't hurt me."

Nightwing shrugged apologetically, "if it were me, you'd be right, buddy. But she doesn't work with Batman." Dick was laughing now, "Even I'm terrified of her. Real psycho, that one."

Lena sent him a brief glare, used to the teasing by now, and looked at the man. He glanced nervously in her direction, so she made her gaze colder.

"Who the hell are you?" the thug finally demanded to know.

"Saber," Lena announced confidently. Then she tilted her head to the side and winced, "ehh, I'm not too sure about the name yet, we're working on it. A friend suggested it to me."

"So," Nightwing pushed, voice still light "gun down, or I let her run the show. Make a choice quickly. I know what I'd do in your shoes, buddy."

They dropped all four thugs off at Bludhaven PD ten minutes later.

* * *

By the time Batman, Oliver, Superman and Green Lantern got there, Felicity and Barbara got the results back that they had been waiting for. Three weeks ago, Felicity had been mildly worried about a theory concerning the fear serum which had affected their friends – now she was downright terrified. It was hardly believable.

Once the four heroes who were available were assembled in front of the computer, Felicity and Barbara turned to them, faces grim. Making sure Roy, Tim and Wally were still too busy talking to interrupt in the med bay, Barbara spoke up, seeing her friend was still slightly shocked by the results.

"Thanks for coming, guys. I wish we had better news."

"You've found something?" Batman asked straight away. As Batman, Bruce was always direct and to the point, a detective not a person. He liked facts first.

"Yes. A few weeks ago, Felicity and I noticed some changes in the original blood sample provided by Flash after he was infected with the serum. These changes didn't present themselves or manifest straight away, so we sent them off to S.T.A.R Labs for a more intense study."

"So wait," Green Lantern interrupted, looking a little pale as he held one hand out, "you're saying that this was_ after_ we thought they were better? So it could still affect them?"

"That's what we worried. We hoped to be proven wrong."

"And?"

Barbara's grim look answered that question. After a moment's tense silence, she pulled up the report on the blood work on the computer behind her, explaining as she pointed to important parts. "This serum is unlike anything Scarecrow has ever produced. Usually, it makes victims feel intense fear or panic, and lasts a couple of hours in most cases before people are completely fine again. This case was odd from the start. At first we thought it was unique because it attacked memory, but-"

"That was just a distraction," Felicity cut in, tone dead. She didn't look at the report, but picked at the blue nail polish on her fingers, hunched over in her chair. "And we fell for it. We spent so much time searching for something to do with memory that we missed the obvious."

"Hey," Oliver said softly, crossing to kneel by her chair. He took her hands and looked into her eyes, "you did everything you could. Don't blame yourself for what's happened, focus on fixing it."

It was so strikingly similar to the advice Lena had given her three weeks ago that Felicity froze.

Batman spoke up, "What did the serum actually do?"

"It warped their genes, not their minds," Felicity explained, gesturing without looking to the picture accompanying the file, "it's changing them. It could present itself more violently at any time; we don't know what effect it will have. But we can guess – it's like a sickness."

"So we need an antidote. Scarecrow must be found."

"Or we don't know what will happen to our friends, yes."

"I'll look into it. For now, tell no one else – panic or fear could trigger it," Batman announced, striding towards the Zeta tube. "You'll send me the files?"

"Of course," Barbara nodded. He was gone a minute later. The room was tense for a minute before Hal left, off to watch the kids for a while. He looked worried – Barry was his best friend, and Wally was like a nephew to him, not to mention Lena and Roy. Superman followed Batman, knowing Bruce might just listen to him.

With him gone, Barbara began to work quietly again, giving Oliver and Felicity some space.

"Are you alright?" Oliver asked, but then answered his own question when he saw her face, "of course you're not. Stupid question. It'll be alright, Felicity, I promise. We'll find Scarecrow and we'll find an antidote, probably before the others even realize there's something wrong."

"And if we don't?" Felicity asked, voice thick with tears.

"We will. You've got to believe."

"I've been told that a lot recently."

Oliver sighed, reaching up to press his lips to her forehead gently. "No one, and I mean that, is going to take away what we've found here. We've earned a little happiness. If what you've found . . . comes to pass, we'll deal with it. Just like we deal with everything else. _Together_. I can't promise it won't be hard or that people won't get hurt – but I promise we won't go without a fight. Scarecrow made a mistake when he messed with our family, because now he's going to pay for it. He underestimated us – he underestimated you. It's a mistake I never made; I knew you were special, right from the start. It's why I chose you. You'll find something, Felicity, and we'll get that antidote. I believe in us."

Felicity blinked back tears at his words, tilting her head to the side. "God, I love you."

"I know," he grinned, kissing her and getting to his feet, "I'll round up Diggle and Sara to go over everything again at the Foundry. Twice. We'll find something to get a lead on Scarecrow if it takes all night."

* * *

Lena and Dick walked back into the med bay five hours after they left, holding food and bags full of sweets under their arms. Hal was playing Roy and Wally on the xbox someone had put in the room, the two boys on the bed together while the Lantern sat in the chair, while Tim sat working on the laptop he never seemed to be without these days.

"Peace offering?" Lena smiled, holding up the bag of food to Roy, who considered it before nodding; when she handed him a burger, he clipped her on the back of the head. "Ow! Real nice, buddy."

"Traitor."

"Speedy."

"Hey!"

"Shut it, both of you!" Hal interrupted, slapping tem both and earning a double death glare. He looked at the four or so bags they'd brought in. "What's in the other bags?"

"Candy, pillows, DVD's," Dick grinned, "thought we'd have a movie night, all of us. You up for it Timbo?"

"I'll call Steph," Tim nodded, pulling out his phone. "Just don't tell Alfred how much candy we eat."

Dick made a face, "still not letting you have any at home?"

"I should be so lucky."

"You could always hide it."

"He'd find it."

"Fair point," Dick conceded, putting a pillow on the floor at the bottom of the bed and sitting on it. "What shall we watch first?"

"Who picked the movies?" Wally piped up.

"Um, we both did?"

"Thank God," the younger redhead sighed, getting more comfortable next to Roy, who made a face at this but said nothing and sending Lena a look as she picked through the bag of movies, "I was worried she'd make us was _Casablanca_ again."

Lena snorted, looking up at him, "says the Kid who knows all the lyrics to 'As time goes by'."

"Do not!"

"Yeah, you do."

"Screw you, Smoak."

"Here's to looking at you, Kid," Lena grinned, holding her arms open to him. Dick high-fived her from the floor.

Wally groaned, "Seventeen."

"What?" Tim frowned, looking at Wally as the speedster put his head in his hands, "seventeen what?"

"Seventeen times she's said that since we watched that movie," Wally explained dramatically, "when will the madness end?"

Tim laughed, as did Hal, who was there the first time and knew he was only kidding. Putting on a stern face, the Lantern spoke up in the most adult way he could muster, lowering his voice to Batman levels. "Cut it out, all of ya! Jesus, acting like children-"

Tim started, "technically-"

"Don't say 'we are'."

"I was going to say you're the biggest 'kid' here, actually," Tim smirked. When Hal sent a construct hand his way the Robin easily dodged it - disappearing somewhere in the ventilation to the sound of cheers at his victory.

"He has a point, you know," Lena told Hal, "come down Timmy, Uncle Hal here won't hurt you."

"Like he could!" Tim's voice came as he appeared again from the ceiling, landing on the back of Hal's chair and mussing up the Lantern's hair before sitting beside Dick at the bottom of the bed. Lena cackled with laughter. She might not be able to understand the kid half of the time, but he was a good kid, and she had to admit he had style.

"Can we start the damn movie now?" Hal demanded with a growl. "Stupid kids, think they know everything . . ."

"And on that note-" Lena stood at the TV to put in the disc, turning to face them all. Everyone's eyes were on the screen, so she alone noticed that Wally had stood and was looking a little odd. Her face froze, "Wally, are you alright? You're looking a little green."

"No, it's nothing I- I just-" the speedster answered, all eyes landing on him as he leaned against the back wall. Face pale, his hands were visibly vibrating with his usual speed as he breathed strangely, an odd rhythm to it; he looked on the verge of collapsing. He put a hand to his throat, "it's just – I feel like I – my chest hurts-"

When he collapsed, he was lucky he was in a room full of people with quick reactions. Hal caught him in a construct before he hit the ground, tears streaming past his eyelids as he struggled to breathe. "Call a doctor!"

Tim ran from the room to do just that, as Dick brought a pillow round to place under Wally's head as they lay him on the floor. While all this was happening, Lena had run across the room to grab a med kit and a defibrillator, pushing past Dick and Hal to kneel at his side a moment later, forced smile on her face.

"Okay, little cousin, I need you to keep calm for me. Try and take deep breaths, don't panic, okay? You're gonna be just fine," she told him as she pulled out the first aid kit, putting on the stethoscope to listen to his breathing. It was odd, but the lungs themselves seemed to be working, she figured as she touched his chest gently, feeling for any reactions. Ruling out broken ribs or a collapsed lung quickly, she knew the next logical place to check would be the mouth of throat. Wally's breathing had gotten worse during her checks, to the point he was starting to lose consciousness and go blue at the lips. "I need a light – something, quickly!"

"I got it," Hal responded, making her a penlight with his ring. He was also using it so scan the kid, but that would take a few minutes they didn't have – but he had a feeling he knew what was wrong already: the fear 'sickness'. He was gonna throttle Scarecrow. "Here-"

"Shine it into his mouth, I need to see his throat," Lena instructed, tilting Wally's head back to the green light hit the back of his mouth. When the kid groaned in protest, gripping onto her wrists in panic, she had to remain calm and ignore him. That killed her. "Shit."

"What?" Hal demaned, trying to see what it was. He couldn't really see much but a mouth – but then again, he had no idea what to look for.

Lena did. As she looked, the back of Wally's throat closed up, shutting off his airway entirely. It was like a severe allergic reaction. "Is he allergic to anything?"

"I-I don't know!"

"Hal!"

"I don't know!"

Wally couldn't breathe at all now. His eyes were wide and bugging as he looked around, trying desperately to breathe but unable to, the edges of his vision going black fast. Grabbing on tight, he tried to move, grabbing onto Lena who knelt over him, telling him to stay calm. It was easy for her – she could breathe! He couldn't die like this. He couldn't . . .

"Damn it," Lena cursed aloud, looking about, "alright, I need a pen and a knife – and something to sterilise them! Alcohol preferably."

"On it," Roy yelled, ignoring the drips attached to him and darting out of the hospital bed. Luckily he and Lena knew where Hal kept his secret stash. He was back with a bottle of Vodka two minutes later, while Dick knelt with a pen and scalpel, all while Lena begun chest compressions on Wally. He had been unconscious for about thirty seconds at this point. Tim had returned with Felicity and Barbara, who couldn't get close enough to do anything. There was no doctor yet – so little time had passed, it was ridiculous. The Robin looked truly stumped for the first time since they had met him.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Dick asked, as Lena poured the alcohol over her hands and the equipment, and they were steady.

She paused, picking up the scalpel. "Let's find out."

They all watched as she moved, feeling Wally's throat for the right spot before moving the scalpel to his skin. Everything in Roy screamed that cutting someone's throat was wrong, but he trusted his best friend; although his heart nearly stopped when she made the cut.

It was small, maybe half an inch down and deep, but the crimson blood which rose up worried him, as little as there was. Lena put her smallest finger in the hole to open it wider before picking up the pen and pulling it apart, leaving only the plastic outer tube. Guiding it through the hole, about a quarter of it going into his neck before it stopped with a sound none of them would soon forget, she pushed it through with determination.

She leant forward then to breathe into the hole gently, twice. After a few seconds, she repeated this. To all of their relief, Wally's chest began to rise and fall. Lena did this for almost a minute, Wally lying unresponsive before he woke up.

Hal held his shoulders down when Wally panicked, unable to speak or understand what was happening as he began to breathe for himself through the pen, although it appeared difficult. At his waking, a collective sigh of relief passed through the room, most of all Lena, who leaned back to wipe tears from her eyes before hovering over him once more.

"Calm down. Wally, you've gotta calm down," she told him, eyes still streaming as her hands finally moved, pushing his hair out of his face as he lay on the floor, pillow still under his head. His eyes were wide and terrified, so she explained soothingly. "You stopped breathing; you're throat closed up, understand? I had to perform an emergency Tracheotomy with a pen – which you can thank me for later, little cousin," she joked, putting him at ease. Motherly, she kept stroking his hair, and they all saw how his breathing got calmer and easier as he relaxed. "I fixed it. Proper help is coming, but you've got to stay calm until then. Just focus on breathing. You're not going anywhere, little cousin. Not on my watch."

Four minutes later, Batman arrived with Leslie Thompkins, the doctor he went to as Batman. She was trustworthy. Within another ten minutes, and with Hal's help, she had moved Wally to one of the beds in the ward and hooked him up to a machine, replacing the makeshift Tracheotomy with actual hospital equipment. Barry arrived during this time; understandably erratic and buzzing around his nephew like a mother hen after Batman got almost everyone to back off.

Lena and Hal were helping the doctor, the girl helping to stick in needles and drips like she had been doing it her whole life, so were allowed to stay close, the Lantern putting a reassuring hand on Barry's back as the ladies worked. Leslie was about to start assessing the patient's condition, who had been sedated, when she put the bloody pen in a metal bowl. "Good work with the pen," she commented to Lena, who had just finished attacking the heart rate monitor, "are you a med student? Or trained in first aid?"

"I- no, I mean –I-" the younger girl stammered, "My mom, she used to be sick . . . well, she was dying. She's not anymore. I looked after her. But I knew that if something happened I wouldn't know what to do, so I used to spend a lot of time in the library looking up first aid in case I ever had to use it."

"You learned that for mom?" Felicity asked, heart aching for her sister. Leaving was still her biggest regret. She had no idea really what had happened with their mom – Lena never spoke of it.

"I had to. I promised her she wouldn't . . ." Lena voice cracked a little, "I said she wouldn't die. I promised I – she did anyway, I mean. There wasn't anything I could do anyway." To the doctor's questioning look, Lena answered, "Huntington's. I knew some day her muscles or lungs might give out. I just wanted to be prepared, try to buy her more time. I thought I had more time . . ."

When Lena trailed off, it became clear she was on the verge of either panicking or breaking down.

"You probably just saved his life," the doctor said kindly, "I take it you've done that before?"

"Never," Lena shook her head, "I'd read up on the theory but I'd never – oh my god, I shouldn't have done that, I could've killed him, I-"

She was stopped mid-sentence when Barry pulled her into a crushing hug.

* * *

**A/N: title was chosen as a lyric from paramore's miracle outro. This is the end of the little 'Lena thinks she's dumb' arc I worked in as a sub plot, the point of which is that everyone has their expertise. She might not have extensive knowledge like Tim or Dick, but she taught herself simple first aid and managed to save a life. I suppose the same is true in reality - everyone has their own strengths. Also, introducing the fear sickness. That's why Lena and Roy didn't fare so well in the fight against Slade, and Barry doesn't seem okay. I also wrote one of my favourite sentences today: 'Jason, you prick! You EMP'd my effing pacemaker!" so there's a little teaser for a future chapter :) I was good and have written two chapters since Monday! so keep reviewing and we'll try and get this story finished soon, ay? **


	12. From Yesterday

** Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC.**

* * *

**'From Yesterday'**

_"Licity," the small, frightened voice woke the girl in question instantly, blinking awake in her bed. She looked around to see her sister crouching on the bed beside her, eyes panicked. "Licity, are you awake? Please wake up."_

_"Lena?" Felicity sat up confusedly. Seeing her sister in her room in the middle of the night was not uncommon. Lena was five and didn't understand the concept of sleep properly, and would either go running to her sister or mom for the littlest things in the middle of the night. Something was wrong this time, though, Felicity could tell; her sister's face was streaked with tears, and her breaths were too quick and worried. "What's wrong?"_

_"Had a bad dream," Lena mumbled, drawing her knees up to her chest and looking at her toes. "C-can I stay with you, just for a little bit, please?"_

_"Of course you can," Felicity told her, not hesitating, even for a second. She moved up in the bed to make room, grabbing her glasses and perching them on her nose first. The minute the space was there, the small figure curled up into her sister's side, still sniffling. The older sister, who at eleven felt very mature and responsible at that moment, put an arm around her and asked; "What was the dream about?"_

_"No," Lena shook her head violently, "don't wanna talk about it."_

_"Okay," Felicity soothed, gently pushing her sister's fringe out of her face before looking the frightened little girl in the eyes, "do you want to do something else then? Maybe it will make the bad dreams feel less scary."_

_"W-what?"_

_"Come with me," the eldest sister instructed, getting out of bed and walking towards the window. Her sister clung to her hand desperately the entire time, tiny fingers sweaty and shaking. When they got to the window, Felicity pulled an old box that used to hold toys in front of it, helping her sister to stand on it so she could see outside. _

_"Wow," Lena gasped when she did. Outside, it was dark enough that the sky was scattered with stars, twinkling  
and bright and . . . amazing. Her mouth hung open in delight as she gazed outside, and Felicity smiled at the sight. _

_"You see, no matter how dark and scary it is, or if you have bad dreams, if you're ever scared, all you have to do is look up," Felicity said quietly, keeping one hand in her sister's. "The stars will be watching over you."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah, they can be your friends. They even have names."_

_"Stars have names?" Lena repeated a little dubiously, then peered at her sister with curiously, "you're clever, Licity. Do you know the names of the stars? Are they your friends, too?"_

_"I'll tell you what," Felicity said, squaring off to her sister and putting a hand on each of her shoulders. "Next time you have a bad dream, you can come back in here and I'll tell you the names of the stars? How does that sound?"_

_Lena blinked solemnly up at her, "you promise?"_

_"I promise."_

* * *

The weight of what she'd done was finally catching up to Lena. She had risked Wally's_ life_. Her hands were shaking and she knew her use was done. A few hours after the incident almost everyone else had gone, but she and Barry remained in the med bay with Wally, Roy asleep in the other bed a few feet away.

Barry was sleeping, too, having dosed off in the chair beside his nephew's bed. But she couldn't. Panic was rising in her, a delayed shock from what had happened, so Lena quickly found her feet moving. She was out of the room in seconds and running through the Mountain blindly, barely aware of it. When she passed the main deck, Felicity and Barbara were still working, Oliver waiting with them, but Lena didn't hear them when they called her.

She ran until she got to the hangar door, opening it by hacking the system in seconds to get outside. She needed air.

Standing in the open, Lena collapsed backwards, almost falling against the stone wall. She slid down it, knees tucking into her chest as she put her head in her hands, feeling a panic attack coming. In the darkness under her fists, Lena spoke softly to herself, a calming technique she had used to master fear years ago – naming constellations under her breath. "Rasalgethi, Kornephoros, Sarin," she muttered under her breath.

Felicity, Barbara and Oliver had followed her. They found her sunk in the grass and stone, head ducked and wet, panicked breathing littered with muttering coming from her mouth. She didn't look the picture of perfect mental health at that moment.

"What is she doing?" Barbara asked, voice concerned but far away. Lena realised there were people above her; they could hear her, but if she didn't calm down soon, it wouldn't be good. Last time she had a panic attack her powers had played up and she'd ended up in Antarctica. It wasn't an experience she wished to repeat.

"Stars," Felicity answered for her. "She's naming stars in constellations. I taught her them when we were kids." Lena heard someone kneel down in front of her, and two hands push her own away from her face, taking them. It was her sister. Felicity nodded, joining in as Lena recited the last three names in the constellation, "Marfik, Maasym, Kajam."

Lena took a shaky breath, repeating the sequence again with Felicity following every word, hands together. "Rasalgethi, Kornephoros, Sarin, Marfik, Maasym, Kajam."

It took another two repetitions until she was fully calm. Lena looked up tearfully to see Felicity's eyes calmly looking back before she nodded. It was alright. The flood of worried faces towering over them was not.

Felicity caught her attention again, "why did you do that?"

"I do it to make myself calm when I panic. I've done it for years."

"Why?"

"I don't know . . . it's just, it's what you taught me and repeating the names makes me stop thinking. It's calming," Lena shrugged, not embarrassed. "I did it on the worst of days. Whatever works best for people, right?"

"Hercules?" Felicity commented, having nothing else to say. She wished she had something which could calm her like that; maybe she'd try naming constellations next time. It seemed to work. The constellation seemed fitting: Hercules, who thought he was nothing yet carried the world; her sister, who carried all of them and proved that she wasn't stupid, she knew enough to save a life when no one else did. "The constellation you were naming?"

Lena nodded, "Hercules."

Oliver knelt next to them, putting a hand on the younger girls' shoulder. "You did good today. I know it's scary to see your friends hurt, but you saved Wally's life. You did that. We're proud of you."

"No matter how much you believe otherwise, you are pretty smart," Felicity agreed. "No arguments. Just look at what you did – Leslie says if you ever wanted a career in medicine to call her, she was impressed. I know you think you hurt people, but you don't, you save them!"

"I don't want to," Lena said, knocking Oliver's hand aside. "I don't want to be in that position again, okay? I hated it. I hate it now. I don't like being responsible for people – his life was in my hands, and I don't want that. I don't want that feeling – I said a year ago that I'd never be responsible for someone else's life again: mom was enough. And I let her down. I can't . . ."

A few tears slipped down her face, Lena shaking her head bitterly before slamming it against the rock to shake herself out of it. She did not like feeling weak. But fear was another matter entirely – like she had told Felicity, she fought fear and tried not to let the past rule her present, but that didn't mean she was made of stone. The fact that they could have lost Wally today terrified her.

Because of how she was growing up, emotions were sometimes child-like to Lena. Having been forced to grow fast and put on a face which told the world to keep it's distance meant that when she did get upset or afraid, she broke down entirely, not able to deal with it an reverting to being a child again. So she pouted as she cried, knowing that come morning she would be laughing too loud and acting unstoppable again; she might as well get it out of her system now.

When Felicity moved to sit beside her, she didn't stop her. In fact, Lena moved into her sister's embrace when an arm was wrapped around her, which only made her cry harder, ignoring the choked sound coming from her mouth as she reminded herself to breathe.

"It's alright," Felicity soothed, rubbing her sister's shoulder. They had missed a lot of moments like this; she was determined to make up for it now – plus, she had no idea when they would see Lena this sad again. It rarely happened.

"It's the serum still, right? Even after weeks it's still affecting us?"

"Yeah. It's like a sickness – it's attacking your genes. We didn't tell you because we didn't want you to worry, but we've got to be prepared now. I don't want to watch the same thing happen to you."

"So we're all all gonna get sick?" Lena asked worriedly. Oliver looked at Felicity before giving her a small, firm nod. The girl sighed, "Great. Just great. You're going to have to take some precautions with Roy and Barry you know, I'm not waiting for them to drop and going through all of this again."

"Batman's already on it," Barbara piped up, feeling like she was intruding on the family moment. She was worried. The way felicity talked about her sister, Barbara had imagined a bullet-proof, ass kicking warrior, which Lena had kind of lived up to. Now she was sitting on the floor, a mess, and it was scary to see. It would be like finding out Batman slept with a night light – it was unnatural. "He's keeping Wally, you and Roy in the med bay from now on – no patrols, and Green Lantern will be going out with Barry until we either find Scarecrow or S.T.A.R Labs comes up with an antidote."

"Yeah, like you could keep me inside if I decided to leave," Lena snorted, a trace of her humour back on her face making Oliver smile. She looked relieved the others would be covered, though, nodding. "Roy won't like it, either. But it'll work. I – I can't go through that again, it doesn't sit well with me."

Oliver chuckled, "You make no sense, you know that?"

"How so?"

"This time: we go out every night and put on masks, asking people to trust us with their lives – don't you feel responsible for them, too?"

"I don't know them," she shrugged in response, "if I let them down, well . . . I don't know them. I don't owe the world anything."

Oliver frowned, "then why do you do it?"

"For you guys," Lena said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But it's different when it's your friends you have to save." Her voice shook a little as she looked down, eyes on her lap, "I couldn't cope if I lost one of you."

"Then it's a good thing that's never going to happen," Oliver said kindly, standing and offering the two sister's a hand up. "Let's go inside, it's freezing out here! You need to get some sleep, it'll be a busy day tomorrow – we're going to find an antidote. We'll need you both rested."

"I thought I was on lockdown," Lena commented dryly.

"You're always useful. Always. Come on, lifesaver, let's at least get back into the warm."

They made their way back into the mountain. For once, all of the bedrooms they had installed for the leaguers and friends were filled; was full with people worried about the speedster. As they walked back through these corridors, Barbara pushed herself along, but reached over to squeeze Lena's hand a few times when the other girl looked lost again.

It was a bad night. But that didn't mean it was a bad life.

The next day Wally was awake, and morning saw the speedster moaning at all of them that he was starving and already bored of the med bay. After an hour of complaining they gave in; Dick set up the DVD's again, and they pushed his and Roy's bed together, all six of them crowding on to them, this time joined by Barry, to finally have their movie day.

* * *

It took a whole of three days before they got_ really_ bored.

On the second day, Roy got told he couldn't go patrolling even though he was recovered now and threw a fit. After it was decided they would be having a prolonged stay another  
two beds had been made up for Lena and Barry, who reluctantly slept over in the medical bay. They weren't hooked up to any machines, but if something did go wrong, they could be helped quickly.

Of course, Lena had broke out of the mountain six times already in those few days. Not that anyone knew. She waited until dark and either went patrolling or Luca's.

Roy caught her sneaking back in at 3:40am at the start of the fourth day.

"How the hell did you get out?" he demanded in a hissed whisper as she crawled back into her bed, grinning. She had gone for a run and stopped a few robberies in the process. "I tried to go out and order pizza last night and they shut off the zeta tubes and manhandled me back in here!"

"Then don't get caught, dumbass."

"It's not that easy for the rest of us! That's it, next time you go out you're taking me with you."

"Nah," she pulled a face.

"What do you mean 'nah'?! Yes! Yes you will take me too, or I'll tell the others you've been stepping out!"

"No, Roy," Lena pouted, leaning up on her pillow to face him. "I didn't like having to do emergency medical work on Wally, okay? I'm not doing it to you, too. So as long as there's a chance you're going to drop on me, there's no way you're coming out!" At his annoyed face, she sighed and relented, "I'll sneak you to the gym tomorrow, kay? You've been on your ass for weeks, we can spar a little to start your conditioning to get you back into shape. I might even let you win."

His snort was the last thing she heard before she fell into an uneasy rest.

* * *

Lena woke up screaming. Since they had been on their forced sleepover in the med bay, she had been very careful to only sleep for an hour or two at a time, every few days at that. This time she hadn't been careful enough, falling into a fitful sleep a few hours after her talk with Roy. It might have been almost two months since they were first hit with the fear serum, but the nightmares had yet to subside – she'd had them often enough before, but now it was ridiculous. She couldn't remember the last good night's sleep she'd had. Probably when Slade had knocked her unconscious.

When she woke to Barry shouting, shaking her awake with a look of parental concern on his face, she felt like crying. Felling weak wasn't exactly new to her – she was just good at hiding it. She could feel the sweat, sticky on her skin as her trembling hands fumbled to get out of the bed, sitting with shaking half-sobs as Barry rubbed her back gently, Roy and Wally woken by her cries and looking over worriedly. This was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

Lena realized she must have been screaming aloud when Superman looked into the room a moment later, obviously on watch that night.

The Kryptonian frowned in her direction, "are you okay? Do you need Doctor Leslie?"

"No, no," Lena shook her head, "'s just a nightmare. Don't worry . . . you should all try to sleep. I'm sorry for waking you."

"You don't have to apologise," Barry told her gently.

"Yeah," Wally agreed, twitching her a grin, "we all have nightmares."

"Thanks, guys."

"You should try and sleep again," the Flash told her, "we all need our strength to fight off this . . . fear sickness. Whatever it is."

Lena nodded, although she had no intention of sleeping. Waiting until they'd all settled back down in their respective hospital beds, breathing evening out, she crept from her bed over to Roy's, who was waiting for her. He had shifted over to make room for her; she lay down beside him in the dark and they stayed quiet while the world slept, tired of the nightmares.

* * *

The video bomb came at about 5pm.

Felicity and Barbara were, of course, seated at the computers, the tech team bringing their A-game to finding Scarecrow after last few nights. It had even paid off: there were sudden reports of him making purchases in Bludhaven that very day. Dick, Steph and Batman had taken that one, but not been able to find anything after a few hours so had returned until something more specific was found; it was a big city, after all.

The League had been gathered all day, aside from the ones who had to stop by at 'work' for a few hours in the middle of it. Barry had called in sick and lied his way to a day off, spending it solely in the med bay hanging out with Wally.

However, at lunch, he too had started to show signs of respiratory distress, so doctor Thompkins had been called in just in time to hook him up to a machine. He was pale and sick-looking; the serum finally taking effect on him too. In theory, it made sense for the speedsters to succumb to it first: with their metabolisms, the serum would take effect quicker, but also wear off quicker, too. They would just have to wait and see.

It was around that time that the League discovered Lena and Roy were gone but they had found them in the gym a few minutes later, bearing the crap out of one another. After a talk about taking care of themselves and responsibility, they had trudged back to the med bay. It was a few hours after that the boredom really set in – bored of watching movies, they had started telling stories then, bordering on outrageous tales of fights they had been in, for which a lot of the others filtered in to listen, including all of the Batkids. Both severely suspected they were there to make sure they didn't leave again.

It was after a few hours of this when they'd run out of stories when Lena and Wally started singing. That was the final straw.

The Leaguers who didn't really know what to do but didn't want to leave either generally just sat around waiting for answers. Oliver had retreated to the gym in frustration at one point and returned with bloody knuckles.

Superman had eventually pulled him away, Clark's level-headedness the only thing keeping half of them sane, Batman's fury keeping the rest in line. The truth was, the big Bat felt guilty. It was his villain who had hurt them; Scarecrow should have been in jail. He didn't like the see the kids hurting, or constantly worried their lungs were about to give out – and seeing the Flash in a subdued mood was downright scary.

When a file infected their system and a video appeared on the giant screen, the League assembled quickly.

"Scarecrow," Batman growled, cape whipping around him as he came to a stop. His face was set into a grim line of recognition.

"Wait," Oliver spoke up, glaring at the man on the screen, "_that's_ Scarecrow? That little guy?"

The man on the screen was in his late thirties, skinny and tall. He wore a faded brown coat and glasses notched on his hooked nose. From what Oliver had seen of Batman's villains on the news, they were extravagant to say the least – Joker dressed as a clown, for Christ's sake! This guy looked like a tax accountant.

"Yes," Batman huffed. "Doctor Crane here is not the most creative foe. He does this for fun. Fear fascinates him."

"Correction: I do it for science," Scarecrow sighed wearily, "and I do on occasion wear a mask. But to the matter at hand – your people have been infected with my serum. By now, it should be taking affect. I want to propose a deal: I get to study one of your people – and no harm will come to them, I promise – or not much, at least – and in return I give you an antidote."

"No way," Green Lantern snapped.

"Our people are off limits," Superman agreed, "you're not getting any of them. But we will be taking that antidote."

"No trade, no deal," Scarecrow deadpanned, lifting an eyebrow. "I thought your people would mean more to you than that, especially since rumour has it Flash was affected. They won't get better. This serum was designed as a twofold: first it forces them to relive their most pained memory – a little invention of my own, I might add. Second it warps the meta-human gene. After an initial loss of control," at this, the League remembered how both speedsters had bolted right after the fog, and Roy had gone rage-crazy. "They will never regain control over their abilities without my antidote."

"Meta-human?" Barbara frowned, confused. "That's the gene it was affecting? So the sickness only presents in people with a dominant meta-human gene? Normal humans only experience the memories?"

"No, the serum has no effect whatsoever on 'normal' humans, although I find the term moronic. Every person has the meta-human gene; it's just inactive in some – at least until an event makes it known. My serum changes an already active gene. If someone was 'normal', the serum will do nothing at all to them."

"That makes no sense . . ."

"It makes no difference to me," Scarecrow snapped irritably, "I have a client waiting on this serum, I can't waste time! Do we have a deal or not?"

"Who's your client?" Batman demanded, "It's not like you to work for a price, Crane."

"My experiments need funding. And this particular project was interesting to me – the client needed to find a particular meta, so wanted something to forcibly make their ability known. It would be useful – if Flash got infected in his civilian life and was suddenly moving in super-speed, his cover would be blown. Clever, no? How could I refuse?"

"Who, Scarecrow?"

"That would be telling," he replied in a sing-song voice. "At the moment, the serum is too slow-acting. I need to refine it. So I need to study someone who was infected to see what to change. Deal or no? I won't wait long. You have a day to contact me with a reply."

The screen went black.

* * *

**A/N: the opening scene with little Felicity and Lena was added last minute, because the idea came to me and I thought it would be cute. Also, I took a day off to write something completely new a few days ago, a hawkeye clint/kate oneshot called 'put it on paper' which it would be cool if you guys checked out. please review!**


	13. The Authority Song

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC. I'm also sorry this is a day later than usual, I went back to college today when up until last night I thought I had an extra week off, so was a little distracted yesterday. This will also mean slower updates, as after just one day back I am already too tired to comprehend life and am already on the verge of giving up. Sorry about that - happy reading!**

* * *

**'The Authority song'**

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then the shouting started.

"We can't let any of them do this," Hal said, "Barry and Wally can't leave their beds, those machines are keeping them breathing."

"And the kids are off-limits," Sara added.

"Not that we'd be able to stop them if they found out about the deal. Both Lena and Roy would be running off in five seconds, arguing about who goes the whole way there. They'd be competing to sacrifice themselves."

Batman seemed non-plussed, "Then we don't tell them."

"They won't thank us for it," Oliver sighed, shaking his head, "and we need a cure. We might not have a choice."

"And you're willing to risk one of your archers?" Diana asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't want to, but we need that antidote – it's like Hal said, we wouldn't even have to ask. They'd offer. I'm not saying I like it – I'm saying we might not have another option. But we wouldn't let them just run in: we can talk to them, make sure they're wearing a tracer and go in after them to back them up. Be a team, frankly," Oliver shrugged. All eyes had gravitated towards him as he leaned against Felicity's chair, noticing her quietness and touching a hand to her shoulder in comfort.

"He makes a good point," Hal conceded, "but we can't tell Barry. No way he'd stand for letting one of the kids go in."

"He's going to punch you when he finds out though."

The Lantern shrugged, "let him. I'd rather have him safe and pissed at me than being killed because he tried to go out and his throat closed up."

Batman nodded, "we can't afford to lose the Flash."

"We're agreed then," Martian Manhunter inquired, "we ask one of the children to go. I could stay psychically linked to them, and use them to find Scarecrow's location. The League could then go in, get the antidote, aid the child, and leave."

"You can do that?" Barbara frowned, "I don't think Roy or Lena would like their minds being messed with."

The Martian explained, "It will be like a radio-link with their minds – I will not read their thoughts."

"And they'll have to deal with it, they're not going in with nothing," Oliver put in bluntly. "They might hate orders, but they'll do as they're told this time. We'll make the mind link a necessity to them going."

"Someone should go get them then," Sara said, motioning for them to move. "Do we all go?"

Hal shook his head, "too obvious something's going on. I'll go grab them."

"No, I'll go," Felicity finally interrupted, standing. "Were you guys paying attention? The serum only works on meta-humans," she huffed, striding towards the door, "my sister and I need to have a talk."

* * *

Lena was laughing, face red as she sucked in breaths every few seconds, trying to get through each sentence without cracking up. They were in the med bay, gathered around Barry and Wally's beds since the two speedsters were confined to them by a mixture of beeping machines and wires; she sat on the foot of Wally's bed, Roy and the Batkids sprawled out similarly to listen to the story.

"So then . . ." she trailed off, laughing to herself, "t-then we land on this moon somewhere – Oh God, you'll have to ask Hal what it's called – and as soon as I s-step off the construct-"

She was stopped from finishing the story when the door banged open, slamming against the wall behind it from the force at which it was shoved, a black scuff mark left behind at the impact. They all flinched at the sudden noise, several of them actually pulling weapons before they realized it was just Felicity. The older blonde looked a little ruffled as she stood at the door, eyes trained seethingly on her sister.

"Er . . . hey sis," Lena spoke up after a moment's silence, "Are you okay?"

"I need a word with you."

"O-okay - is something wrong?"

"No," Felicity said bitterly, but then realized how she sounded. It was only when she went on that she realized just how good at lying she had become, running a hand through her hair, "I just needed your help with something – we found a loophole in the security for this place, we figured you could try and break in and see if we've managed to correct it."

"Oh, okay," Lena replied, eyebrows dropping and bunching together in a silent question. She obviously wasn't buying it, but got to her feet and headed to the door anyway, turning with a forcibly bright smile. "Sorry guys, I'll have to finish that story another time. But I'm sure Barry can tell a few while I'm gone – start with the one about Captain Cold and the snowball fight."

Barry grinned at that, attention drifting back to him as he remembered that day. It was January, and after beating the rogue, Lena had started an impromptu snowball fight with him, Wally and Roy before they could clear up all the snow and ice. Soon enough, the residents of Central City had joined in. By lunchtime they were involved in a city-wide snowball war. It had been one of Wally's first missions as Kid Flash. He would never forget the redhead's smile.

"Oliver needs to speak to Roy, too," Felicity added off. Everyone was so busy listening to Barry's story that the two teenagers' leaving was unnoticed, as all of them left the med bay, heading generally in the direction of the main deck.

Lena waited until they had walked a few steps, exchanging a look with Roy before tentatively asking, "So what's really going on?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Felicity asked defensively.

"Um, you're going to have to explain that."

They were passing through the doors to the main room now, the rest of the League visible in the distance, shooting them not-so-subtle looks. The older sister scoffed aloud at the comment; she understood keeping some things to herself, but Felicity had really believed that her sister would trust her with something so important. It hurt. Felicity nodded at Oliver when they got to the rest of the League, finally turning to her sister.

"You're a meta-human! How could you keep that from me?"

Seeing the distress in her sister's eyes, Lena decided not to lie immediately, reaching out to pacify her sister as she heard Roy cough uncomfortably beside her. "Fee-"

"No, don't 'Fee' me! Just explain!"

"Wait, how did you find out?"

"Scarecrow just sent us a transmission," Oliver cut in, putting an arm on Felicity's shoulder when he saw her shaking. He stepped forwards, addressing both Lena and Roy now. "He explained that the fear serum you were infected with only affects meta-humans . . . and he offered us an antidote."

"He's got to be lying," Roy said immediately, "why would he just give us a cure?"

"He isn't," Sara shook her head. "Scarecrow has said that he'll give us an antidote in exchange for someone who was infected going to him, so he can do tests on them to study the effects. He wants to refine the serum, apparently."

Hal spoke up, "But we won't let him do that. We'll catch him before he hurts anyone else – but we need that serum now, for your sakes. But with Barry and Wally out of commission-"

Simultaneously, Lena and Roy spoke, "I'll do it."

Roy turned to his friend immediately, "_No_-"

"I'm going!" Lena yelled, "You're staying here – I'm not risking anyone else after the other day."

"Except yourself!"

"That's my choice."

"It's mine too!" Roy argued, as they turned on one another, ignoring the adults for a moment. They argued among themselves, "you know the serums been affecting you worse. Don't lie to me – I've seen it. You're holding on by your fingertips, Lena. You can't do this._ I_ can."

"The serum's been changing you too; it's been making you angrier. You lose control of yourself when you let the Mirikuru do its work, you can't go in there! What if you go berserk and kill them all?"

It was true. They had confided in each other the true effect the serum had been having – Roy would have random flashes of amnesia, in which he couldn't remember friend from foe and would be consumed by an anger he couldn't control. Lena was in a lot of pain, which only subsided when she teleported – which she never did. But staying still was becoming agony.

The boy stiffened, "They deserve it."

"_Roy_," she groaned exasperatedly, running her fingers through her hair as she faced him, nose inches away from his. "You're not a killer. Don't even say that, because we know you don't want to hurt anyone – not even them. It's safer for you here."

"No, I'm not letting you do this-"

"Do you seriously think you can stop me?" Lena asked, quirking an eyebrow. He finally stepped back, admitting she had a point. She went on, "listen, it's more practical for me to go. I won't hurt anyone – well, I'll rephrase that – I won't_ kill_ anyone, but sending you in runs that risk. This serum, I'm guessing, messes with the meta-human abilities," she looked at the others, receiving a few nods of conformation that she was right, "if it mixes with the Mirikuru while you're with Scarecrow, everyone in the vicinity is dead. At least I'll keep my head."

"And what if it's a trap?" Roy asked, looking at the League for support, "that must have crossed our mind. You always go on about how hard you fought to be free – are you willing to risk it again for this?"

"For the cure; to save you," she nodded, eyes bright with tears, "I'd risk anything. Barry and Wally need this, we all know it. I can't lose anyone else, Roy. Trust me. I can do this. . . I have a plan."

"No!" Felicity shouted, surprising herself, "y-you can't go. Roy's right – this is a trap."

"Yes, Fee," Lena snapped. "I'm tired of this! I've barely been sleeping for months – I have nightmares and two people are already on life support! Barry and Wally need this antidote-"

"Not like this; you can't risk yourself this way."

"Waiting for another cure would be a bigger risk! This sickness could kill us – we don't know what it'll do. This is our only option."

"You can't ask me to watch you do this. It's not fair!" Felicity argued, striding over to her sister and putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked scared, lip quivering, begging her to reconsider. "I watch you go out every night and fight crime, dangerous people who could kill you. I sit by and let you do that because I know we're doing something good here. But working with criminals – that's not right. This isn't right. Please, don't go."

"I'm not working with him," Lena answered calmly, "and I sure as hell don't intend to let him actually run any tests on me. I'll get the antidote and get out."

"How?" Superman asked.

"And you might want to explain the 'meta-human' thing while you're at it," Oliver suggested, irritated edge to his tone. He crossed his arms and waited for an answer.

"The answer is the same to both, actually," she replied evenly, trying not to wince. After a moment, she reluctantly tilted her head to the side, disappearing in the flash of green light that followed. Most of them stepped back at the sight, staring at the place she was only seconds ago. Felicity looked worried.

"Lena?" she asked, one hand going to her mouth.

"You worry too much," the younger sister's voice spoke from somewhere behind them. They all whisked around to see her perched on a ledge forty feet in the air, in the dome of the main deck and smirking down at all of them. In another flash, she stood in front of them again, arms crossed comfortably. "I would have told you, but I don't really . . . I don't use this. Emergencies only. But in this case, I think it's necessary – if anyone can get in and out with the antidote, it's me. You know it is. I could do it even without having to use my powers, this just saves time."

"So what? You jump in and straight back out again?" Hal asked, looking thoughtful. "It could work."

Lena held her arms out, "bitches, I_ am_ the exit strategy. Trust me."

"How did you become a meta-human?" Batman asked.

"Sorry, Batsy. That's a vetoed subject."

"I thought you wanted our trust."

Lena sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair. "Later," she decided, "right now – we have an antidote to steal."

"Yes," Roy agreed, "_we_ do. We're both going – don't even argue, Smoak. I've decided."

"And if you flip out?"

He tossed her a gun, "you put me down."

"W-What? No . . ." Lena blinked distractedly, but then she looked at the gun in her hands more closely. It was surprisingly light in her palms, so she checked – and breathed a sigh of relief. "Tranq bullets?"

Roy nodded, walking over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder. "If you're going, I'm going. We stick together, remember?"

Lena visibly swallowed, nodding at him firmly, eyes not leaving his for a moment before taking a breath and turning to the rest of the League. "So," she asked, "what's the plan?"

* * *

**A/N: Obviously titled after 'the authority song' by Jimmy Eat World, only because the name Roy is mentioned in it and I've been jamming to them for weeks. Lots of Lena and Roy for the next few chapters and big big secret reveals. g'night.**


	14. Attack

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. also double length chapter today yay!**

* * *

**'Attack'**

_"This is ridiculous," _Roy 'thought', but the entire League heard him, clear as a bell. The ones involved in the operation, anyway. Barry was still in the med bay, and the Batkids had been tasked with distracting him while Lena and Roy went after Scarecrow. Everyone else was gathered in the control room, psychically linked with the two archers and each other. It was . . . odd.

_"Then go home," _ Lena replied.

_"Not on your life."_

_"Shhhh, then. I'm trying to think."_

_"There's a first time for everything, I suppose. Don't you usually just barrel in and see what happens?"_

_"Shut up."_

_"Make me."_

_"Ow!" _Roy's thoughts didn't increase in volume, but the tone changed. A moment later, he whined, _"she hit me-"_

_"Stay on task," _Oliver mentally snapped at both of them, sighing loudly. The rest of the League were torn between similar exasperation and amusement. He rolled his eyes as Felicity, worried about how little she had said as they'd briefed Roy and Lena before sending them off, shooting a message to Scarecrow and receiving co-ordinates in return. The two archers were heading for the co-ordinates in Gotham now. She twitched her lips up weakly, but Felicity was distracted; trying to keep tracing her sister and friend from the Mountain. _"Both of you need to stay focused. We can't underestimate Scarecrow this time, or clue him off to what we're planning. So stop goofing off."_

_"Yes sir," _came two equally resigned replies.

* * *

The co-ordinates led them to a small borough in Gotham, a squalid house they could smell the weed on even before they entered. It was grey and faceless, the smell of vomit and drugs and . . . other things which assaulting their senses as soon as Lena and Roy walked in, the latter commenting on it as their feet touched down on creaking floorboards.

"It smells like sh-"

"Yes," Lena cut him off, "I'm aware."

Slowly, they made their way into the dark house, bows drawn. Roy took the lead, Lena instinctively giving way to him because of his knack not to watch behind him and charge on instead of taking caution. But he was good at spotting trouble a mile off, so Roy taking the lead suited their partnership well. As a team, they worked seamlessly.

Along the corridor at the entrance were people, lying alone or huddled together, some not even moving at all, not even breathing. That was the smell then. The ones still alive were obviously out of it, vaguely moaning or staring at them with glassy eyes from sunken faces, not quite aware of anything. It made Roy sick to his stomach to see people in this condition, dying without even realising it; he mentally made a note to come back here later and get them into rehab centres. The horrific images wouldn't leave him for a while.

"This is . . ." he started, voice unexplainably dry, but couldn't finish the sentence. A moment later, he felt a hand on his shoulder firmly. It lingered there for a moment as they stood at the end of the hall, looking back at the bodies behind them and facing a door. Although Lena had dropped her bow to comfort him, they didn't feel like there was any danger near – the house was quiet. Apart from the addicts, it seemed like they were alone.

When the door opened, they moved quicker than the eye could follow to pull their arrows tight again, trained on the man standing on the other side, hands above his hair and a grin on his face. Apparently, this man with a scruffy ginger beard and tattered blue hoodie was their guide as he was the only person capable of speech at the moment.

"Hey, don't shoot," he laughed, teeth black when he opened his mouth, words uncertain – he was stoned, but to a lesser extent, "they said to show you . . ." He trailed off, turning with a swing and pointing, walking through a tiny, hovel-like kitchen to a similarly distressed garden. The man stopped, pointing to a manhole cover embedded into the weeds, "They said to go left."

Roy swore aloud.

_"Guys, we have a problem," _Lena thought, _"we have to go into the sewers. Will the psychic link extend underground?"_

_"Maybe," _J'onn answered, _"but if you go too far out of my range . . . we will lose contact."_

_"Okay. Felicity? I know you're pissed at me right now – but in case something . . . well, in case we mess up – I'm sorry for not telling you I was a meta. I just need you to know that."_

_"No," _Felicity answered strongly, shaking her head to clear it, _"apologise to me when you get back. And you're coming back. I know it."_

_"See you later, Fee."_

_"Later. Be safe."_

_"Yay," _Roy interrupted them. He had knelt by the manhole cover and pried it off while they were talking, sighing heavily every few minutes. He couldn't believe they had to walk through literal shit right now. Unbelievable. Throwing the cover to one side, he stared into the gaping black hole below, _"now we get to go on a lovely walk to our impending doom. I heard the scenic route is stunning."_

Lena snorted behind him, and he swung himself onto the ladder, descending quickly into the sewer below and trying to breathe as little as possible.

* * *

Roy wasn't enjoying the sewers. For the obvious reasons, it was disgusting, leaving him resisting the urge to gag every few minutes as they trudged through the ankle-deep water. It was slimy underfoot so they had to move slowly in the darkness, illuminated only by the glowstick Lena had pulled out and attached to her bow, dimly lighting the space a few feet in front of them – but if something was waiting, they'd never see it coming. The blackness ahead was absolute.

He wished he hadn't worn his expensive sneakers that day. They'd cost like eighty bucks, but Roy swore to burn everything he was wearing as soon as they got topside again. He just tried not to think about what he was stepping in.

After walking for about forty minutes, mentally sending what direction they were walking in to the League so they could use maps to follow their progress underneath Gotham, the scenery changed.

Suddenly, the sewer became much cleaner, the tiles around them lightening to white, with a red line running through. Then came the changes in directions, lead offs and concrete platforms large enough to stand on, electrical boxes and doors inset into the walls.

_"Hey guys . . . is there any chance of there being rooms down here? Like places to hide?" _Lena asked, looking around as they now followed arrows in spray paint on the walls, which they assumed had been put there by Scarecrow. _"We're taking a left here, by the way."_

_"No," _Batman answered. The rest of the League had looked to him to provide information here – it was his city. _"There are old subway stations villains sometimes hole up in, but the sewers? There's nothing down there."_

_"How do you know?" _Roy asked sarcastically.

The bite in Batman's voice was deadly, _"I've checked."_

_"Oh." _Roy shut up for a moment. Then his voice came back more smugly, confidence back despite the situation. _"What about the two intersecting? _ _Like a tunnel from one to the other?"_

_"There's none that I know of, why?"_

Roy exchanged a look with Lena. Traces of amusement still tugged at his lips because this was absurd, Gotham was weird and if he didn't laugh he'd be crying. As his eyes left hers, they fell back to the wall on their left. In the middle of the tiles, there was a crudely cut hole, deep and dark and barely big enough for them to fit through. It led somewhere. The yellow arrows pointing to it told them that much. Crawling through would be the only option.

Roy said smugly, _"Because I'm looking at one right now."_

* * *

About ten minutes into the tunnel, they lost the mental link. It was narrower than it looked outwardly, forcing them to crawl through it on their hands and knees: the ceiling brushed their backs occasionally, sending a fine layer of dirt down them which tickled across their spines.

Straight away, they became dirty, streaks of dust landing in their hair and across their clothes, leaving them feeling like a long shower was needed and looking like they'd been living down there for weeks. Dirt was cake beneath their fingernails as they scrabbled through the hole, Roy going first on the account that she was 'much less likely to stare at his ass than he was at hers', to put it in Lena's own words.

Neither of them was particularly enjoying the journey, but for a multitude of different reasons. Roy was more concerned with what was waiting for them at the other end to be bothered by crawling through it too much. He did however hate how filthy he was getting, how degrading having to crawl through it was, and how much his back ached from it, muttering darkly under his breath and in his thoughts to the League before the connection cut out suddenly.

It was when all links to her family were severed in one blow, leaving her alone in the dark with no one but Roy which Lena started to panic.

"The links gone," she pointed out dumbly, "the voices are gone from my head, we must have lost them. What do we do now?"

Roy shrugged, "go it alone, I guess. We still have a mission."

"But what if something goes wrong?"

"We roll with it."

"What if they come after us? We could lose the cure_ and_ our family – they could walk into a trap," With each question, Lena's voice became more panicked as her breathing increased, the silence deafening after being able to hear the thoughts of so many. Roy stopped moving, worried, as he heard her panic. "Or they can't find us at all and we're trapped somewhere? I-"

"Hey, hey, shhhh," he soothed, scooting back until he could feel her behind him and awkwardly extending one arm backwards until she grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly, "we're gonna be just fine, we're a team, remember? What happened to the fearless girl I know?"

"It's all and act and you know it," she answered quietly, " . . . the first thing I learnt from Kevin, well, the second actually – always have an exit strategy. Never go in unless you have a way out. In the sewers, at least we had an escape – we have no way out of this tunnel, and the walls are so close-"

Roy almost smiled, "not a fan of confined spaces, huh?"

"You know why," she replied after a silence.

"Listen, Lena – I don't know how good I'm going to be in whatever fight comes next," Roy admitted begrudgingly, voice frank as he tightened his grip on her hand slightly, "honestly, Slade messed me up big time. I'd got to feeling invincible, and I know now that I'm not. But I know that you'll pick up the slack, because no matter what, there's one thing you do – kick ass," her laugh cut through at that, "but what I can do is tell you that we're getting out one way or another. All you have to do for me is go a little further, just focus on following me, and we'll get out of here as soon as possible. Can you do that for me?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay," he let go of her hand, talking in a low, soothing whisper as they began crawling again, this time at a faster pace. They both needed to get out of there – the need for the antidote was getting desperate if Lena of all people was outwardly showing fear. "Doesn't this remind you of being a kid? Did you ever have one of those tent-tunnel things? I did. It was one of the few toys we could afford when I was very, very little. I used to crawl half way through sometimes and lie there, because the sunlight would come through the coloured fabric funny and cast shadows. It was the little peace I remember. I used to think it was a good hiding place too – like nobody was going to check in the brightly coloured tunnel which giggled when you poked it." He laughed.

They had been making good pace as he talked, leaving enough gaps so that he didn't run out of things to say but still giving his friend constant reassurance. God knows she'd been there for him enough times. Ahead, he saw a light. "Hey, I can see something now. A light at the end of the tunnel," he told her happily.

"Can you see what's on the other side?"

"Are we still going with the metaphor or literally?"

"Literally, you dork. Is there any sign of Scarecrow?"

"I don't have X-Ray vision, jackass. I can't see yet," Roy replied. Joking in dire straights. This was familiar ground again. A few minutes later, they hit the end of the tunnel. Creeping forward, he peeked out – into an empty subway station. "Coast's clear."

He clambered awkwardly out of the hole, having to heave himself headfirst onto the concrete below ungracefully, earning a few snickers from behind him. Pulling himself to his feet, Roy turned to see Lena with her elbows on the edge of the tunnel and hands under her face, looking pale but relieved to see open space again. He offered her a hand to get out, so her decent was much more graceful, leaving them standing with clasped elbows in a space too large.

Roy looked up to find her looking at him intently. "What?" he demanded.

"Nothing, s'just . . . thanks for distracting me back there."

"It was nothing," he answered, looking at his shoes. He didn't want to think about the fact that one of his best friends had a fear of small spaces because she was locked up for a year in one, let alone the fact that he was one of two people who knew the entire truth. But when he looked up, Lena was still watching him strangely, so he demanded again, "_what?_"

A smiled twitched the edges of her mouth this time. "Er, it's just . . . you'd make a good dad, one day."

At that moment, one of the two tunnels leading into the room which the trains would have run on – one at each end of the station – burst open, letting in a swarm of thugs. A few carried weapons, but they seemed to be your average muscle for hire. Scarecrows men: it seemed their 'escort' to whatever was next had arrived.

Roy gave Lena a sideways glance, seeing she had already palmed a knife and had one hand on her hidden smoke bomb, ready to detonate so she could take out the men. He was being honest in the tunnels – when it came to a straight up fight, she definitely had the edge over him. Especially now he needed to stay calm in case the fear serum made him lose control. Hell, she was better anyway.

He smirked, muttering to her, "Batter up."

* * *

"What happened?" Oliver demanded standing and slamming a fist on the table. Everything had been going fine until a few seconds ago, until the constant, reassuring chattering of Lena and Roy in their heads was replaced by a static silence – a dead silence. It was unnerving.

"They went out of my range," J'onn answered calmly, face thoughtful, "we lost the connection . . . I'm sorry. They're on their own now."

"What about the tracers?" Felicity sat up, tapping insistently on the keyboard until two red dots appeared. A map of Gotham showed them to be somewhere underneath Crime Alley – but there was no way of telling exactly which of the old substations they were in. It would take some time to search them. "There! We have a location for them – we just need to check the stations in that area!"

"On it," Oliver was glad he was already in his suit, simply slipping on his mask and grabbing his bow from where it rested against the desk before turning to the others. "I know this wasn't our mission . . . but they're our kids. If we can help them, I will, no matter what threats Scarecrow makes. Is anyone coming with me?"

"Of course," the Green Lantern responded immediately. Hal's face was uncharacteristically serious, and he spared only a glance at the screens showing Barry and Wally before moving to Oliver's side. "Those kids are golden. I'll help in any way I can."

"As will I – I can't help but feel responsible," J'onn nodded.

"I don't like meta's in my city – or other heroes," Batman pointed out, crossing his arms. "If I oppose this . . . intrusion?"

"Then, quite frankly, you can suck it," Oliver responded. He took a few steps forward until he was nose to nose with the Bat as he spoke, a forced calm to his voice. It was all a front – his family was in danger – he was anything but calm. "I'm going to save them, and if you want to get territorial over this, you're more heartless than I expected. Bite me."

Batman shifted, changing instantly to hide his smirk, "it's a good thing I owe those kids a favour. I'll go with each pair to the subway stations to point out the entrances."

The Batman's help was offered easily and formally, because he'd never openly admit to liking the two kids, but they all knew he did. He owed them nothing and knew it. Oliver nodded, sensing this, and extended a hand. "Good man," he said, shaking Batman's. "Let's go."

"Be safe," Felicity told him, standing to kiss him briefly, the taste of her lips the good luck charm for him to carry into battle. She gripped his collar as she did, pulling him close before letting him go, because she knew she must – no matter how much she wished he would stay at home and be safe, the world needed the Arrow: and right now, so did her sister. She flashed him a smile, "I'll direct you from the comms as best I can. Be with you the whole time."

He grinned, "As if you'd be anywhere else."

They didn't have to draw out the goodbye's with 'I love you's', just a squeeze of the hand. They had work to do, a Scarecrow to catch and display, and family to bring home – it was what they did, after all.

When Oliver walked away, he turned in surprise when the entire League moved to follow him without hesitation. He faced them, frowning in confusion, "you're_ all_ coming?"

"It's like the young warriors have been trying to prove to us for months – we're a team," Wonder Woman answered, smile on her face. "We look out for our own. Besides, we're only a team because they made us one – I quite worry what would happen to us without those younger heroes and sidekicks. All of them are, frankly, the glue holding us together."

* * *

The fight got intense fast. Roy and Lena originally pretended to submit, walking with their hands in the air through the abandoned subway stations until they came to what looked like a makeshift hospital . . . and they finally got a look at Scarecrow.

He would be completely unthreatening, if it wasn't for the mask. It was made of brown leather, worn in, a little bloodstained, curled into a grotesque image. The rest of him was more 'geography teacher' than 'international villain'.

"Where's the cure?" Lena demanded before he'd even opened his mouth. She glared at the men round her and Roy, two holding her arms while a few more had weapons trained on them. Scarecrow's men had taken both of their bows, of course . . . but she was carrying a hidden armoury on her person. They were far from unarmed.

The villain studied her defiance before nodding to one of the thugs, who promptly punched her in the face. Roy yelled out at it, but she didn't make a sound, spitting blood onto his shoes as she continued to glare at the source of her problems for the past few months.

"Speak when spoken to, prisoner," Scarecrow commanded; his voice remarkably soft. He tutted, looking between them, "Such a shame. I really would have preferred Flash . . . no matter, you'll do."

"We won't do anything until we have some assurance you're deal was good – where's the cure?" Lena asked again, and again was hit. She stood once more, "where's the cure? I'll keep asking."

"Yes, I believe you will."

"So will you answer?"

Scarecrow sighed heavily, walking over to his lab and pulling back a curtain to reveal four test tubes of amber liquid. He gestured to it wildly, "There is your cure. It will reverse the effects of the serum – but you will not have it until you hold up your end of the bargain. Ra's wants the serum perfected within the year."

Instantly, Lena paled. She went limp in her captor's arms, freezing on the spot as every aspect of her being became alert and focused, heart hitching as she held her breath subconsciously. Voice shaking, she asked, "Ra's Al Ghul?"

"Who else?"

"Why the hell would Ra's need a fear serum?" she asked, forcing her voice to be steady. Roy was watching her now, waiting for the explosion; for her to snap and start attacking. The signs she was about to were all in her posture, how she held herself: she was scared. "Who's he after?"

Scarecrow seemed to notice her interest, focusing on her curiously. "He never gave a name. What concern is it of yours?"

"But he must have said _something_," she pushed. Her eyes were alert now, following Scarecrow's every move and forgetting about the thirty thugs with guns in the room briefly. They were no trouble. The real threat was the answer.

"He . . . he said something about following a fire. That if my serum worked as I promised it would and caused the meta-human gene to malfunction, then he could follow the flames to his revenge," Scarecrow answered, unsure of himself. The girl suddenly looked a lot more like a threat. If looks could kill, he'd have stopped breathing a minute ago. "It was all quite dramatic – I couldn't care less, as long as he pays up."

Lena pursed her lips for only a moment before she moved. After that, she had disappeared from the thugs arms in a flash of green light; that same light jumping all around the room in about thirty seconds and knocking every man in sight unconscious before anyone could even become aware they were being attacked. She was lightning.

Roy felt the men holding him fall and slump, suddenly free and moving to pick up his bow immediately. He always felt safer with it in his hand. Straightening, he lifted it until the string was taunt against his fingers, looking around for a way to help. But he was miles too late – they were already taken care of by Lena, who materialised beside him a second later.

One look at her face, he knew they were standing on an edge and she was considering the leap.

"Lena-" he started carefully, but she cut him off.

"Don't worry, hotshot, when the League gets here I'll tell them you helped with at least one of them."

The words were so familiar, the snark and joke rolling out of her mouth like she didn't even have to think about it anymore, so familiar that Roy almost believed she could hold on for a moment. Joking in battle easily was his friend. What happened next was not.

"Now . . . you," she turned venomously to Scarecrow, who stood watching his defences fall helplessly. Lena crossed the room, punching him twice before grabbing his right arm and twisting it until his elbow broke with an audible snap, sending the villain to his knees. Standing above him, she snarled, "You're going to tell me the details of every meeting, and every conversation you've had with Ra's about this. And you're not going to lie to me, because if you do, I'll know – and do I even have to come up with a threat about what I'll do then?"

* * *

When the League found the right subway station, they all gathered there in minutes. Walking through the empty stations was nerve-wracking – it was too quiet. There should be some sound. This was wrong.

Oliver was practically running by the time they came to the 'lab'. He stopped in his tracks when he did.

The League had gone in looking to finish a fight – but they were too late, it was already done. Bodies and guns lined the floor: the two people they'd gone to save looked up boredly at their entrance, Roy picking his nails with an arrow while Lena studied the cure thoughtfully.

"I . . . are you okay?" Oliver asked, gesturing around for an explanation. He knew his protégée's were skilled, but didn't think they'd be able to win a fight with such bad odds, two against thirty, was something else. "What . . .?"

"We got the cure," Roy answered evenly, shrugging, "figured the next step was arresting them before they could refine it and hurt other people."

"What happened to escaping as soon as you had eyes on the prize?"

"What sort of heroes would we be if we saved ourselves then ran away?"

"Unfortunately, they didn't all come quietly," Lena added, nodding to the floor. They all turned to see Scarecrow, lying motionless in a puddle of blood. He alone seemed damaged, unlike his mercenary's, who appeared to have gone down cleanly. "He's alive . . . but he won't be making any more serum for quite some time."

"And this was necessary?" Batman asked.

"Yes."

* * *

After the cleanup, which they stayed for, Roy and Lena watched as Scarecrow got taken away. Roy was never too opposed to the more . . . violent ways of taking criminals down, he firmly believed in doing what was necessary. But he wondered if they'd gone too far.

Looking over at Lena, he saw just how rattled she still was. Her face was drawn in as she bit her lip; he knew she was desperate to race off – the afternoon had left her a lot to think about. Blinking, he nudged her shoulder with his. "It's gonna be okay, L. Even if he comes for you, I won't let him hurt you again. This might be nothing."

"We both know it's not," she replied in a quiet voice as they began to walk back along the tunnels to meet up with the others. "It was an ultimatum – Ra's is finally making his move. I killed over a hundred of his men escaping: he wants me dead. The serum was to flush out Luca so he could kill us both. If he wanted it done within the year . . . well, that gives me a year to live."

"Not if I have something to say about it!"

"You don't, hotshot. You can try, but I've been living on borrowed time for years: I knew he'd come one day. It's okay."

"It's not."

"I got out and got another year with my mom – it was worth it. I got to spend time with Fee too, and you and everyone else – that was just a special bonus. It's really okay."

Roy shook his head, "It's not fair. You never asked for any of this – the Sensei kidnapped you, gave you powers to be an army – they're the ones that made you a weapon. You just chose to use it against them instead."

"Keep your voice down! The others, they can't know about this," she warned in a low voice.

"I'm sorry. But it isn't right, L."

"They wanted an army of metas. I stopped them. I escaped. It doesn't matter to them that I never wanted a part of any of this – my continued existence is crime enough, at least to them." Lena shrugged like her death would be nothing, and Roy felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. "I have a little time left to try and find a way out . . . but if he doesn't kill me, he'll go after you guys. I won't have that. And I'm not going to let him kill Luca, either. We've got to hide him, keep him safe – you'll help me, won't you?"

They stopped just inside the tunnels, Roy sighing exasperatedly at her refusal to save herself. "_Anything_, but-"

"Thanks, hotshot," Lena kissed him on the cheek, smiling at him, although it was forced and sad and not really a smile at all. Still with that look on her face, she turned and began to ascend the ladder to the surface ahead, where their family waited.

Alone in a dark tunnel, Roy hung his head. In a cracked whisper, he finished, "but I don't want you to go."

* * *

**A/N: as promised, lots and lots of Lena and Roy this chapter, because they are dumb children and I love them. Then there's the hints about Lena's secret, which will be happening a lot from now on since there's only going to be another ten chapters, if all goes to plan. To remind you: I have revealed in 'the other smoak girl' that it was the Sensei who essentially kidnapped Lena, who if you read the comics, you'll know he is a member of the League of assassins. Ra's was hinted at all along, if you look. More details will come out at the conclusion, but for now: Ra's wants Lena dead. He hired Scarecrow to make the serum so that it could be released over cities, exposing Meta-humans. They know where Lena is (remember after Thea's party, when she told Roy the truth after being attacked? those were assassins she made a deal with. re-read chapter 21 'fireworks' if you've forgotten) but they don't know where Luca is - and oh yeah, he has a power too. sorry if its confusing. I'll try my best to explain it better in the chapters to come. I'm a little bit excited, tell me what you guys think!**


	15. Semi-Automatic

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC, unfortunately.**

* * *

**'Semi-Automatic'**

The air at Mount Justice that night was considerably cheerier, although an edge hung on the conversations – everyone was waiting to ask what they all wanted to know: since when did Lena have superpowers?

After the mission she'd left too quickly with Roy for them to get any specifics, but now a lot of people were wondering how she came to have them; and why she kept them a secret.

Still, they had succeeded without injury and Scarecrow would be going to Arkham Asylum in a few days when he was released from hospital and they now had the cure they needed to fix this whole mess. That was a result in anyone's book.

But the nagging feeling of unfinished business persisted.

Hal was the one who acted on the feeling, as they all stood celebrating in front of the computers, lounging about on the desks with water and laughing. They'd even brought Barry and Wally up from the med bay and told them what had happened – the speedsters were relieved that a cure had been found but angry they'd been left out.

The Lantern pouted, "So . . . are we really not going to mention it?"

"What?" Felicity asked, turning away from talking to Oliver, whose lap she was perched on.

"You!" Hal pointed to Lena. She sat up quickly at the accusation from being lectured by Barry about never leaving him behind again if she was going to do something stupid. "Powers? Being able to jump from place to place in a flash of light? Does nobody but me have any questions about that?"

She looked at her toes, the room suddenly becoming quiet as every set of eyes drifted to her. "Drop it, Hal. It doesn't matter – I told you, this was a one time thing only. I won't use my – my _ability_ again."

The Lantern looked abashed. He hadn't meant to make her feel so uncomfortable, inwardly kicking himself at asking now instead of waiting to ask her later when they were alone. He blushed and tried to change the subject, "Right, 'course. Sorry, darlin'. So shall we order pizza? I'm starving. But you'll all have to pitch in 'cause I'm broke."

"No, wait. He's right," Superman interrupted, "unknown metas can cause trouble – how did you gain these abilities? An explanation is due."

Lena stepped away from then a little, tilting her head to the side before answering nonchalantly, "Well, I don't want to talk about it, so . . ."

"But this is important! Meta-human powers don't just appear, and we must control any form in case they go bad, like the Rogues."

"Fine! I was hit by lightning while standing in a radioactive lab, after being granted powers by a mystical being and told to save the world, happy?!"

Superman frowned at her sarcasm, lifting his eyebrows, "this isn't a joke."

Lena turned and made for the zeta tubes, "Listen, I should get going – things to do. You should send that cure to S.T.A.R Labs to check it's actually a cure and won't make things worse before you give it to anyone, and call me when it's done."

"Lena," Felicity cut in, standing to face her sister, "forget them. You promised _me_ you'd explain. Whatever it is . . . trust us, we'll be with you no matter what."

At this, the younger girl stopped backing away towards the Zeta tubes, eyes flickering shut as she grimaced, pushing her lips together and breathing heavily from the nose. She paused before opening them again, looking only at her sister.

"Fine," Lena bowed her head, stepping forwards again, trying to make her voice light as she forced a winced smile onto her face. "Okay. Okay. It was the usual – mad man wants super-powered army to take over the world, kidnaps children nobody would miss to turn into weapons. I was the Coast thief nobody could catch and one day, a man came looking for me – said I fit a 'criteria'. Cue me being knocked out and waking up in a windowless room with a bunch of other teenagers."

She tried to smile but failed. Lena's eyes were hard as she looked at the floor, not at any of their faces. It was only half of the truth she could tell them. The rest was too dangerous. Regret pained her face as she shook her head, breaking off to wipe a hand over her eyes and down to her chin, resting it there as she tried to control herself. Emotions weren't going to help here.

Felicity watched her sister carefully, breaking up inside at the fear etched on the younger girl's face. It wasn't the battle shock or nightmare fright Felicity had seen before – this was real, harsher, genuine terror. She had never seen her sister look so scared.

"The man appeared again and told us we had been recruited for a greater purpose. He said that we were the scum of the Earth – thugs, thieves, kids who had gone wrong somewhere – and that he was giving us a second chance to be something more. Most of the kids were criminals from all over the world. He'd travelled looking for those skilled in well, questionable things – I fell into that category."

"You were just a thief," Oliver argued, frowning, "you didn't hurt people."

"But I was a good thief. I was never caught – I could become invisible and had enough skills so that I was already half-trained. It was good enough for him."

"But you were just a kid."

She shrugged, "I was seventeen and working for a mob – I wasn't a kid, Oliver. But unlike the others there . . . I had someone to get back to. Mom needed me. I tried to escape so many times in those first few weeks – but he wasn't alone, and his men were merciless. If you didn't follow orders or were caught trying to get out . . . that's where I got a lot of my scars."

"What scars?" Batman asked.

Lena rolled her eyes, turning. Her own team and Barry were the only ones who had seen the scars on her back, so since her face and arms were free of marks, the League didn't yet know of her previous injuries. Quickly, she lifted the back of her shirt to show them her back, which was lined with white scars, both small and large. A large one cut across her shoulder blades, but the worst ones were at the bottom of her spine, like she had been stabbed.

She showed them only a glimpse, pulling down her shirt before turning back to them. If it had been under any other circumstance, she would have laughed at their shocked faces. "It's okay," she reassured them, "they don't hurt anymore. But the beatings in those first weeks I was lucky to survive – some didn't. It was when he'd gathered enough that the 'training' began – we were taught to fight, pitted against one another, instructed on how to use a sword: which is why I'm so good with one now. I had to be. Failure to be perfect meant punishment."

"Oh, Lena," Felicity breathed, walking over to her sister and hugging her fiercely. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault. But I'd really prefer not to talk about it, so let me be vague – the man had invented a serum designed to manifest the meta-human gene normally dormant in people. The results were different for everyone. Perhaps because I thought about nothing but getting home, I was suddenly able to teleport. But I couldn't control it. There are limitations, of course – I can't go further than 100 miles at a time, it wears me out after a while and I can be stopped from teleporting using electricity."

She gathered herself before going on, "It took me a year to finally get out. I went home, hid, and never used the powers unless it was absolutely vital. I'm sorry I never told you . . . I wanted to, I wish I could tell you more . . . but it_ hurt_. Oh, God, more than you could imagine, it hurt."

It was then that the tears finally began to fall steadily. Lena cut off; wiping her sleeve across her face as Felicity hugged her again, clutching her sister close to her chest. Contrary to what people who didn't know her well enough thought, Lena Smoak was only a scary person while they were out on patrol. In reality, she was quite the opposite – she craved physical contact. She was definitely a hugger, needing to physically feel people close to feel safe and enjoying moments of feeling protected like this, for all the times she didn't. It was why she had no worries about climbing into her friend's beds when she'd had a nightmare, lying shoulder to shoulder with them like it was nothing.

Right then, she needed that. So she let Felicity hold her closely and tried to ignore the horror on the other's faces at her story.

"But . . ." Batman spoke up cautiously after a while. The story had shocked him. He supposed they all had their reasons for being there, his being his parents deaths – but for someone so young to have suffered so greatly moved him. "What about the meta-human army? You escaped – what happened to them? They must still be a threat."

"No."

"How can you be certain?"

"Because I'm the only one who made it out of there alive."

It was only a small lie. In fact, two of them had – and she really needed to go and see the other.

* * *

A few hours later, when everyone had gone their separate ways to think or work, Hal caught up to Roy in Mount Justice. The Lantern was supposed to be on Barry watching duty until the cure came back from S.T.A.R, but had left to find the younger man after his best friend had fallen asleep, Wally assuring him that he'd keep his uncle in bed should he wake.

Hal didn't know what to think about the day. At first, he had been completely overjoyed that they had caught Scarecrow and the cure was in their hands, but after he'd stupidly spoken up and Lena had been forced to tell her truth, no matter how vague she made it – the victory felt hollow. He would be one of the first to admit that he loved that kid. She kept him company once a week, sometimes more, on patrols, and it wasn't hard to fall in love with her. They all had. It was how she was.

So to see Lena Smoak collapse under the weight of everything she didn't say was unbearable.

"Hey!" Hal called after Roy, causing the younger man to stop before he could get to the Zeta tubes. "Listen, I just got a call from the Corps – I have to go off-world for a few days. Talk about bad timing."

Roy snorted, but he looked drawn in and not himself. "Do you need me to take over here?"

"In more ways than one," the Lantern responded. "I need you to look after all of them too, Lena especially. I know that you know more than the rest of us – don't deny it," he said, when Roy opened his mouth to do just that, "I'm not gonna pry or ask you to tell me. I-I'm just glad she talked to someone. But you look out for her, you hear me? She's a danger to herself because she refuses help even when she really needs it, even though everyone in this mountain would give it to her in a heartbeat."

That was why Hal Jordan was great: sure, he was a joker and a risk, but when he really needed to, he knew where to draw the line. He wouldn't ask too much or push a subject so fragile.

"I know that," Roy agreed. "What do you expect me to do? She's too damn stubborn."

"Don't let her die."

He nodded, "I've been trying to do that since we met."

"I'll be back soon," Hal promised, clapping him on the shoulder. "I know there's more to this, and we'll fix it. Just gotta survive a few days without me."

He laughed and was gone, leaving Roy alone again.

* * *

Although Felicity, Oliver, Sara, Diggle, Barry – well, _everyone_, had tried to smother her for a few hours, Lena managed to get out of Mount Justice just as night fell. Telling them she was going to try and sleep, she had retreated to her bedroom in the mountain for all of ten minutes before dragging herself up into the ventilation system. She ached from the fight, was drained from having to relive the little truth she had told them, but hauled herself up and moved anyway. It was what she had to do.

The grate popped open easily, but she groaned when she pulled herself up. Crawling through the vents was troublesome; especially since she was cramped and alone this time, but soon found herself looking out over the garage. Cracking open the grate in front of her and chucking it down before leaping to a nearby ledge – which she missed, hitting it awkwardly and landing heavily on the floor.

For a moment, she just lay in a tangle of limbs and considered not getting up. Then she forced herself to stand and walk out to the nearest Zeta-tube in Happy Harbour, the town next to the mountain. The walk was only ten minutes. When she got there, Lena keyed in a code to activate the Zeta machine instead of registering herself – she didn't want them worrying. Light briefly surrounded her and she was in Bludhaven instantly, heading to a bar she knew too well.

* * *

"I need to talk to you."

When Luca looked up and saw the look on her face, he knew what had happened immediately.

"He found us," he guessed, dumbstruck. He froze, putting the glass in his hand down limply. This couldn't be happening. They'd escaped – they'd made it. Not now.

But for Lena to look so destroyed; there was nothing else it could be.

She grabbed his hand, eyes meeting his. "Outside," Lena suggested, guiding him through the semi-crowded bar, fingers never leaving his.

Like her, Luca had grown to take comfort in physical contact. From the nights spent together in the windowless room, where they had become allies, and then friends, her touch had become one of the few things that could calm him. When the nights were harsh they would lie together, as they still did; now, when things were desperate, all they needed was to interlock their hands.

She only let go when they were alone, standing in an alley next to the bar. He turned to face her. Lena sighed, "He hasn't found us yet - he's trying to. The fear serum I was infected with was manufactured to expose metas – Ra's hired Scarecrow to create it to find you. They already know who I am, they could attack any time – but they know I'm the only link to you. My only guess is that he's waiting for a location on both of us before he attacks."

"Shit," Luca cursed, stepping away from her and putting his head in his hands. "No, no, no, no, no! No! We got away-" his voice cracked as his back hit the wall. The anger was understandable, as was the fear. He slid down the grimy bricks until he was sitting on the floor, head still in his hands. "We got away – we –why did they do this to us?"

He was crying. Because it wasn't fair, they had just started to live again – and now they were to die. Lena had reacted the same way, sobbing for a while before she collected herself to come here. Felicity had been with her then, her entire family gathered to support her – although they had no idea the real danger she was in. The way she had told the story to them, she had left out the ending – the part where Ra's Al Ghul wanted her dead and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

Quietly, she knelt in front of Luca and took his hands. "I'm sorry, brother. I tried so hard to keep us safe . . ."

"I know," Luca reassured her, pulling her forwards so she sat beside him against the wall. It was how they used to sit, shoulders touching with their hands together. They were desperate back then, and even more so now. "It's a good life; I just wish we had more time."

"We have a year, give or take. Ra's wanted the serum within the year, so although we stopped Scarecrow, it likely means he'll kill me in a year anyway. If we can keep you hidden until then-"

"No. When he comes, you will call me. I will fight with you one last time."

"Luca, no." Lena shook her head sadly, "Not this time. I need you to be safe, to live. I can't – I got caught. They found me; but you can survive this. Don't die with me needlessly."

"There's no better way to die," he laughed back at her, face still teary but eyes reckless, "I would have died with you two years ago and I'll die with you tomorrow. We were in this together from the start. I won't let you go alone."

Although he grinned and expected her to grin back and say they'd give Ra's hell, Luca was surprised when Lena started to cry again when she looked at him. "No," she shook her head, "I – I watched my mom die, Luca. She was my purpose. Then you were, and Felicity. I lived to look after you."

"You should live to live, hermana, not for a person."

"I don't know how to be any other way, but that's not the point. He _will_ kill me, but I won't let him hurt you. I need you to live and do some things for me: I need you to tell them the truth, and all of it. I need you to tell them that I'm sorry. And . . . I need you to be happy, and make sure they are, too."

"Ask me to die with you," he replied, "but don't ask that. Don't ask me to live without anyone in this world."

"You'll have them."

"They're your family, not mine."

"But you are my family, too," she squeezed his hand. Lena nodded to him, eyes drying and glazing over with determination. They were still sitting half in the gutter of a dirty Bludhaven alley, but that didn't mean they were beaten. "I won't go without a fight. I have a reason to live now – people to live for and be happy with. I'll fight – who knows, I might even win. Or I'll think of a way out, we have time."

"Not much."

Lena put her head on his shoulder and exhaled, echoing him. "It's a good life, Luca. I got more years than I thought I would. There were times I thought I'd die alone in that place, with no one to know I was even dead. Then I found you; we got out and I had precious months and years, hopefully, with my family. If I . . . if I do die, remember that it was worth it. Every second was worth it."

Luca couldn't even bring himself to smile, turning his eyes skyward, "I want more time for you."

"So do I. Hell, it's only been a few hours and I already feel like I'm on a life sentence. I keep thinking that I'll never see Oliver and Fee get married, or Wally go to college, or if Hal will ever grow up," she chuckled feebly, "but they will anyway. I won't risk them being attacked by bringing them into this fight, because they _will_ grow old and be happy. I just wish I could see it."

"You still might. If anyone can kill Ra's Al Ghul, it's you."

They stayed that way for a while, looking up at the stars even as their hearts plunged into the gutter.

* * *

The next day, Lena walked into the main room to see everyone waiting for her, smiles on their faces.

". . . What's going on?"

"These just got back from S.T.A.R Labs," Oliver grinned, tapping his fingers over four test tubes on the table in front of him. "They're clean. They also used these samples to mass-produce a cure, should Sarecrow ever try to make it again."

She stopped walking in front of them and grinned, exchanging a look with Roy, who was uncharacteristically cheerful. "We did it?"

He nodded, "we did it."

"Holy shit!" she laughed, rushing forwards to hug her red-hooded friend joyfully. Everyone around them seemed just as pleased, laughing or smiling peacefully. It had been a group effort, after all. They had all pulled together to achieve this – researching, chasing down trails, fighting – and they had won. Scarecrow was finished.

All that was left to do was swallow a mouthful of cure.

"What are you waiting for?" Felicity asked, "I think it's about time you all got better."

"Bottoms up, boys," Lena replied, smiling brightly despite the night before. Ra's Al Ghul was coming to kill her, but she'd always known it would happen eventually. Right now they were victorious. She still had reasons to smile – her friends – and some time left with them. She was damn well going to enjoy it. Lifting the tube to her lips, she downed the formula inside – and gagged. "Ugh! That's . . . I literally have no words."

Roy was sniggering, "your fault for going first."

"Ha, ha, you still have to drink it," she laughed right back.

At that, Roy scowled, snatching up his own dose and drinking it quickly, trying not to taste it. As he made faces, Barry and Wally swallowed their tubes much more calmly, the speedsters feeling the effects immediately because of their accelerated metabolisms. All was seemingly well.

"So what now?" Lena asked, looking to the rest of the League. "One case closed – what next?"

"We were talking about that, actually," Felicity smiled, walking over to her sister with Oliver beside her. She took her sisters hand, but pulled it up, touching the silver bracelet on her wrist – the one they'd given her for Christmas which meant she couldn't be captured on camera, leaving her a ghost to the media. "We think it's time you took this off."

"W-what?"

"You've been patrolling with three different heroes for sixth months," Oliver explained, looking around for Hal to glare at but finding the Lantern oddly absent, "but the media doesn't even know it. You've saved people with me, and Barry, and Hal. You patrol with Dick once a week now, for God's sake! It's time the world knew about the protector of all the cities."

"You're not a victim," Barry added from his seat. "Or a weapon. You could have been, but you chose family instead. You might have been changed by that year, but it isn't what defines you."

"That bracelet has been hiding you," Felicity took over. Lena was staring at them both, shocked into silence, but everyone else was smiling, knowing this was right. "It's stopped the media from ever knowing you were even there. We think it's time you took it off, revamped your costume, and went out as Saber. Let people know you help them. Take a name. Be a hero."

* * *

**A/N: Yeaahhhhhh! I really like the ending for this chapter. thanks for all the reviews so far, and the support and even just for reading it, if you do. 'semi-automatic' is a twenty one pilots song, if you're interested. I wrote two whole long chapters since I last updated too. yay. **


	16. The tone

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Arrow or DC. This chapter is pretty fun, its a week in the life of Team Arrow. Life is crazy when you're a superhero._

* * *

**'The Tone'**

**Monday**

"On your right!" Felicity yelled through the comms, rolling her eyes as she began to hack the next security camera on the street. She needed eyes on them if she wanted to guide her dumb sister through this. The pictures on the screen in front of her were grainy, and she struggled to make out the shady shapes moving very quickly across the screen. Diggle was trying to help beside her, but there was little they could do – Lena was in Gotham while they were in Starling – it was up to her. "How on earth did this happen anyway? I thought you were going for breakfast with Steph, not going after a – what the hell is that thing, anyway?"

"No idea," Lena answered, voice strained. Her lungs were burning from the running, although she pushed the thought away as she forced herself onwards, feet pounding against the concrete. She and Steph were being chased by a_ thing_, whatever it was. Twisting her head, she yelled to the girl in the bat costume beside her, "And we _were_ having breakfast when this beast started tearing up the streets. What is this thing anyway, Batgirl?"

The reply was huffed, as Steph's cheery face was red in tiredness from running. "Killer Croc."

"You hear that?" Lena yelled through her comms again, "Batgirl says the ugly mother's called Killer Croc. Got anything on him?"

"Let me see," Felicity replied, already pulling up the League database to the computer in the Foundry. She counted herself lucky for their new resources most days. "I can't believe you couldn't stay out of trouble for _one night_, though . . ."

"Felicity!"

"Okay, I got it. Not the time – alright, it says here that Croc has been in and out of Arkham for years . . . real name's Waylon Jones." Felicity recited the facts as she read them, occasionally hearing a grunt or two in confirmation that Lena had heard. "He's hard to kill – he'll be able to track you by smell and his skin's near enough impenetrable – but he's stupid, frankly. Fight smart and stay away from water."

"Shit."

"You're running straight at the docks, aren't you?"

"Little bit, yeah," Lena huffed, glancing around for a way out. They had to get Croc away from civilians, out of the city, but she also was fairly invested in not being eaten by a mutated crocodile man. She spotted another option quickly, banking to her left and dragging Steph with her. "I think I've found a solution."

"What? I can't see," Felicity asked, moving the security camera of a nearby being that she'd hacked to try and see ahead of the two girls. A maze of storage lockers on the docks came into view, and even as she watched the two girls ran straight at them, running a few steps up the side before grabbing the edge of the crate and pulling themselves up. That was the last thing Felicity saw before they ran from her view, Croc still in pursuit, and she leaned back on her chair with a sigh.

Felicity reasoned that she wasn't too worried because it was too often that her sister, boyfriend, best friend or in fact most of her acquaintances were in mortal danger fighting some super-powered villain. Still, she put in a call to Batman that assistance was needed and sat back with Diggle, knowing neither of them would go home until Lena had returned.

* * *

Lena could hear Killer Croc approaching. She and Steph were running over the tops of rusting storage containers, the smell of the dank Gotham river hitting the back of their throats with every sucked in breath, tired of running but not really having a choice of stopping. If they wanted to fight, they needed a plan – and Lena was drawing blanks on that front. So she focused instead on putting one foot in front of the other as she dashed, Croc below them in the maze of crates.

As he was forced to take a slower way round, having to navigate his way through the dark corners while they leapt freely above it all, it gave them a little breathing room but every now and again they would hear his growled threats, or the container they were running on would be hit from one of the sides by the villain, causing them to stumble.

They had just run out of crates to run on, forced to drop down onto Croc's level with nowhere else to run when Batman showed up.

"I thought I told you – no patrolling in my city," he yelled gruffly to Lena, who stopped beside him, panting. Nightwing and Robin followed quickly behind, landing with equal grace next to the two girls and looking back towards the storage lockers from which Croc was emerging, crooked smile on his snout from seeing his true enemy – the Batman.

At the words, she looked up and rolled her eyes, "I came for breakfast, your goddamn city attacked _me_, not the other way around! And you're welcome, by the way."

Batman snorted, "All you did was run away. We can handle it from here."

With that, Bruce ran off, cape flying behind him as he threw a few batarangs at the approaching villain. Croc stumbled back on impact, as the weapons detonated with a small electronic charge on impact – but it still wasn't enough to bring the reptilian down.

Lena watched this hunched over with her hands on her knees, panting from the run slightly, but faring better than most people – running with Barry paid off, after all. "Asshole."

"He's only pissed because the people of Gotham _wish_ you patrolled there," Nightwing informed her with a smile, as Robin took off after Batman while he stayed, pulling a device from his belt. He twiddled with it as he spoke, passing Steph a bottle of water with his free hand. "You took the name Saber and started patrolling publicly what – four months ago?"

Lena grunted in agreement – it was November now. The months had flown by. "About that, yeah."

"And everyone loves you because you're everywhere – Star, Central, Coast, Bludhaven with me – you even show up with Diana in Washington at least once a month. People trust you as a hero, which is more than I can say for him, and B likes Gotham being all exclusive to him."

"He's still a jerk. I was _helping_."

"I didn't say he wasn't," Nightwing laughed, throwing the device he'd been playing with towards the fight. It flew steady through the air, his aim impeccable before it hit Croc in the side and exploded. The beast was knocked from his feet at that, giving Batman time to throw another batarang which ensnared the reptile in a net. "I was just explaining why he acts the way he does. You know, in case you took it seriously."

"When do I take anything seriously?"

"Batman can make you feel worthless sometimes, like he hates you personally, but he doesn't really," Dick revealed, looking down. She wondered how he knew this so well. "I just didn't want you feeling alienated from the city if he yells at you after this. Which he probably will."

Lena snorted, "Oh, joy."

"But don't let him. You're welcome here no matter what, okay? You helped today."

"Thanks, Dickiebird." She smiled genuinely in his direction through her domino mask. The costume change had come about early on – the all black, ninja look was too threatening for the media and triggering for bad memories when she saw herself, so Barry had helped her make a new one. That man could sew like no other. "Well, if Batsy is gonna be pissed at me anyways, I might as well give him something to _really_ yell about . . ."

Lena ran then, heading to the side – there were more lockers and a large crane used to move them, one storage locker already hung midair in it's metal claw. She had seen what was going to happen before it did; noticing the slight movement of Croc and that one edge of Batman's net had not been pinned to the ground like the rest of it. So when Croc twitched up with a screeching cry, ready to attack again, she was already on top of the hanging locker, swinging the crane towards the reptile.

Lena jumped off as she kicked the hook holding the locker in the air – right above Croc's head.

Before the villain could even make a move, the heavy locker was hitting him in the head and sending the reptile to the floor, crushed beneath it and down for the count. Due to the fabric flaps on her suit, from her arms outwards, so when she extended her arms she could glide easily for a short distance, she was able to jump from the height without worry. Lena landed next to Batman with a grin, even as a news helicopter appeared above them, blinding them with light as it recorded the figures on the ground.

Lena's image was well known to the press by now – the mask and blonde hair under the green hood, with black leather pants and a small armoury of weapons. There was the sword holster on her back, the weapon to inspire her name – the quiver and bow holding crossing over it, leaving her with an 'X' on her back. To some it was a target, but to her it was an easy reach to either weapon. She also carried knives in pockets on her thighs and a grin almost as recognisable as Flash's, even in disaster.

Saber was a household hero by now. This little incident would be all over the news in minutes.

Giving her one of the most impressive Bat-glares to date, Bruce whipped around towards her with a finger extended and a growl. "You and I need to talk, _Saber_."

And it was in that moment Lena Smoak knew she was truly, absolutely screwed.

* * *

**Tuesday**

Game night had started out as a way for Roy and Lena to relax and take the night off. Somehow, it had deteriorated to_ this_.

"Hey asshole, get your feet off the table!"

"Stop distracting me just 'cos you're losing! That's cheating!"

"I don't need to cheat to bet you, twerp."

"Hold on a sec, what's the running score? 67 – 49 in my favour."

"That's only 'cause I let you win so you don't go crying to your Uncle."

Wally scoffed, finally removing his feet from the coffee table – and putting them right onto Roy's lap instead. He had become a part of game night long ago, and somehow managed to make it both lighter and more likely to break out into bloody violence. How much like brothers the redhead and Roy were really showed when they were slaughtering each other at games.

At the sudden feet in his stomach, Roy flinched back – dying on screen as a result. He huffed angrily through his nostrils, "you are such a fucking cheater! Lena, he cheated – tell him he's a little shit."

"You're both really, really annoying," Lena instead told them, coming out of Roy's tiny kitchen with her mug of tea and pushing them both aside to sit in the centre of the couch. It left them zero elbow space and several complaints from the boys, but she smirked at it anyway. "Now come on, give me a controller."

Despite their gaming differences, there was one thing on game night Roy and Wally agreed wholeheartedly on.

"But you suck," the young speedster pointed out with a pout.

"Like really, really, suck," Roy confirmed, "I didn't think it was possible for a person to be so bad at video games until I met you."

"And that's putting it kindly."

The younger Smoak girl rolled her eyes. _Boys_. Still, it was nice to have brothers.

* * *

**Wednesday**

Felicity was never sure what to expect to happen on 'girl's night'.

It was a scheme devised by Sara and Diana on one of their missions together, which were frequent since the two had decided they were the best warriors of the League, even more than the men – even Bruce didn't argue that point. They had become very good friends early on in the League and absolutely dominated ever since, both skilled in fighting and finding easy comradeship. Whenever Black Canary and Wonder Woman were seen together, every two-bit criminal for ten miles quaked in their boots.

Somehow, in the aftermath of one of their larger battles in DC, the two had ended up in a coffee shop in the city, still in costume and exhausted. Sara had pointed out that they never really hung out as a team socially, and that even when they did, the boys always turned every little thing into an argument; thus, a girls only, once-a-month night in DC had been born.

Diana loved it. She was still learning about the outside world, but felt that the best of it could be seen in the people of the League – their bravery, resilience and honest kindness still astounded her even six months on from their first meeting. Fitting in with the social norms could also prove challenging to the Amazon, but she was learning. Watching the other females on the team especially was helping her with that – while the men had a tendency to be pig-headed and brooding, the ladies of the League approached this life with hope and a strong sense of duty which inspired her.

Girl's night was one of her favourite times.

The others had more reserved opinions on it. It was always fun while they were actually out and able to let go a little, but most of them took a lot of convincing even to take a single night off from patrolling.

When they were all corralled together for long enough to consider doing something, there was the issue of what to do – Steph was underage, so going to a bar was out of the question; bowling had been a disaster and they still had a six month ban from the place in the city; food was chaos from trying to get something to suit everybody – more often than not, they ended up in the same coffee shop.

It was not far from the main part of the city, the Smithsonian and Capital building visible from the windows stretching across the front of the shop, but only a small place amidst the branded coffee shops spread across every city in America like the pox. It made it special in a way, more honest.

"Is something the matter?"

Felicity jumped at the voice, almost falling from the high stool she was perched on by the window. She loved the view here – all the blues of the sky mixing with the white of the buildings, the perfect clash of nature and architecture – the entire city resonated with history and greatness. Blinking, she turned to see Diana watching her curiously, the ever-friendly smile on her face welcoming.

"I was just thinking how lucky you are to work here," Felicity admitted with a smaller smile as the Amazon took the stool beside her. "I'm astounded by the beauty of this city every time I come here. It's . . . something else."

"I have to agree. When I first saw the outside world, I thought of cities as being corrupted by man, places where crime had been allowed to fester like an untreated wound and depravity was the law. It was . . . unsettling. I was used to a simpler way of things."

"It must have been a reality check. The world isn't perfect."

"I never expected it to be," Diana's smile had faded to a nostalgic one, but sharpened when she looked back at Felicity again. "But that doesn't mean it isn't good. I believe that it is, truly, deep down. And it's healing. Cities like Star are beautiful in their own right, as they get better and heal from the darker times – you play a big part in that."

Felicity blushed, looking down at her coffee, "I don't know about that – I mean, I help – but it's the others who fight. I just . . . well, I hack."

"You're their eyes in the sky," Diana shook her head forcefully, "their ears on the streets – when people have a problem, they come to you. I've noticed it, even at Mount Justice. If people need information; if they need help – you're the first person they turn to."

"I, er, thank you."

"You don't believe me. It's okay. Sometimes people struggle to see their worth – but you have the heart of a warrior, Felicity Smoak." As if this was a normal thing to say, the Amazon princess turned away simply, looking this time inside the glowingly warm coffee shop. There was only a few other customers in there, aside from their rather large group. She nodded at their friends, "they look happy, don't they?"

Felicity was still reeling from the compliment, stunned speechless, so tripped over her words. "Sorry? I – oh, yeah, I guess they do," she agreed, turning to follow the other woman's gaze. At the pool table in the corner of the room, Barbara and Lena were playing each other while Steph played judge, the girl in the wheelchair surprisingly good at the game. Barbara potted the coloured balls with startling accuracy, the other two girls standing with their backs against the wall to watch the redhead, impressed expressions lighting up their faces.

Had it been Roy or Wally or Oliver playing, they would have gotten overly competitive by now and started yelling at one another, but the girls seemed genuinely pleased to support one another's talents.

They balanced each other out, in a way. Felicity and Barbara's computer skills complimented each other, so as neither of them could go out into the field anyway, they usually paired together on missions to watch things from the base. Felicity at least considered the other woman one of her closet friends at this point. Sara and Diana were the strength. This naturally left Steph and Lena to be the heart: the two younger girls bringing laughter to their gatherings, and even to their missions, the ones with hearts as metaphorically golden as their hair. Kara, when she was not at the Kent's, had warmed up considerably over summer, too. The first time she had laughed, brash and loud and throwing her head back, they had all been quite shocked.

They would sometimes have special guests to girls night – Iris would occasionally show up, as would Hawkgirl, Zatanna, and Superman's girlfriend Lois Lane. The League had been recruiting for the past few months also, the rota changing with a few new potential faces.

However, they were back to their core members that night. While the three girls played pool, Sara was legitimately attempting to arm-wrestle Kara, although she stood no chance of beating the Kryptonian, and she herself was talking to an Amazon princess. Felicity supposed girl's night wasn't so bad, after all.

"We've come far, since our beginning," Diana commented quietly.

"That we have," Felicity agreed, finally turning with a grin, "now shall we go and save Sara and see if _you_ can beat a Kryptonian?"

Diana quite liked the sound of the challenge, so they got up to do just that.

* * *

**Thursday**

"Again!" Lena called out, dropping her hands for a second to shake them before throwing up her guard once more. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she focused on the redhead in front of her, frowning when he threw up his hands and started walking away. "Hey! Where're you going?"

"I'm tired, Lena," Wally pouted. His hair stuck to his forehead in dark patches and he looked desperate, ashamedly turning his head down to his feet. She had been training him for months now, just like she had his uncle, and for the most part they had a great time during the sessions. The Smoak girl tried her best to make the training fun, teaching him how best to fight with his speed; they had a real laugh. He wasn't laughing now. "I – I'm sorry. Can we leave it for today? I . . . want to go for a run."

She really frowned now. Speedsters ran to fight – or for escape. Something was obviously up.

"Come with me," she told him, heading for the corner of the room. From there, she used the apparatus as a climbing frame to scamper up nimbly, jumping for a window. There were window bays, eight exactly, set around the room with views from the mountain to the sea and harbour. Lena cracked one of those windows, pushing it up until they had an unrestricted, free view out into the sea, climbing outside to a wide ledge, legs dangling a long way up from the ground as she sat.

Wally sat on the ledge beside her quietly, already seeming more at ease. Frowning, he asked, "How did you know the windows opened?"

"Because it's where I come when I need a break from everything," she answered honestly, "things can easily get too much, with lives like ours . . ."

She left that hanging, waiting patiently for him to start talking. It took a few minutes, but Wally spoke up.

"Everyone's so excited about Barry and Iris' wedding tomorrow," he said, voice reluctantly, "So am I, but . . . they're starting this whole new life together. They took me in when things weren't serious, but now they're getting married and they might want their own family, a life of their own. I'm just . . . what if they don't want me anymore? Dad didn't want me."

"Oh, Kid," Lena said, voice breaking almost as much as her heart was for him in that moment. She put her arm quickly around the teenager, trying to ignore his sweatiness meshing with her own, and pulled him into her side, shaking her head. "Don't ever thing that. They love you, okay? Barry and Iris didn't take you in just because it suited them at the time, they did it because they _wanted_ to give you a home, and them getting married isn't going to change that."

"B-but I don't want to be a burden."

"You? A burden?" she snorted with laughter, "you're kidding, right? Wally, you're not a burden to anybody. You're the only thing that keeps the people in this place laughing most nights. I knew your Uncle Barry for a little while before they took you in, and I can't even begin to tell you how much happier he was when you came along. Barry was born to be a dad. You gave him that – he needed a family: that's you and Iris. And you don't give up on family."

He still sounded afraid. "Are you sure?"

"Positive, Kid."

"I'm sorry for acting like a kid and getting upset over nothing. I didn't mean to, it's just -"

"Don't ever apologise for how you feel, Kid. It's okay to cry if it helps you to get it all out, or to just scream or shout or in my case, kick the crap out of the training dummy's," she gave a small laugh, which he joined her in after a moment. Lena ruffled his hair affectionately, "you're never going to be alone, Wally, no matter what. You've got your aunt and uncle. You've got me. You've got Hal and Roy and Felicity and Tim and freaking Superman – we're all one big, dysfunctional family now. Got it?"

"Yeah," Wally laughed, "I get the picture. Thanks."

"Y'welcome, Kiddo. Ready to go back down and try again?"

"You bet."

* * *

**Friday**

Barry and Iris' wedding was the event of the year in everyone's books. The planning had been months of hard work on all of their parts, the entire League pitching in some way or another to lessen the burden for their friends – although some got more involved than others. Iris was a saint in her patience, more calm than even Barry when the big day dawned.

The service was short and simple, attended by their family and odd circle of friends, all dressed up in their best, although at least a third of them were packing some sort of weapon in case of an emergency.

Not that they had anything to worry about. The service went off without a hitch, the small church lined with yellow flowers and the day outside clear. Too soon, they were at the "I do's".

Nobody was likely to forget that day – or the reception.

Hal was crying during his speech. "Now on this day, the wedding of my best buddy in the universe – literally," he paused, letting everyone in the know laugh at that joke, while others just looked mystified, "I thought I'd do the usual 'best man' speech, tell some funny stories and make my pal here look like an idiot." Hal clapped Barry on the shoulder, "but luckily for him, I decided to designate my five minutes of being serious quota per year for this moment. So instead, I'm just going to say this: I met Barry Allen looking for a friend, and it was in him and others who he inspired similarly that I found a family. And I know plenty of others who will agree with me on that count. There is nobody in the world more deserving of the happiness he has found, and Iris, sweetheart, I know nobody better to keep this dumbass in check. Not to mention you are one fierce lady, and terrify me deeply," that at least got a laugh, Iris shaking her head playfully in the Lantern's direction. Hal stopped, nodding with tears on his face, "This, right now, is what makes life worth living. Friends and family; good times; and laughter. Darlin' – hit it."

As she had been instructed to, Lena hit the stereo in the corner, a song blaring for Hal to swagger down to the dance floor to. The party unofficially started then.

* * *

Oliver found himself standing beside Diggle in the early hours of the morning.

His brother in every sense of the word but by blood was inexplicably where he needed him to be even when they were off duty, Diggle's face smiling benignly as he took in the scene – anyone still sober enough to stand was dancing, people all around chatting comfortably, joy bursting out of every aspect of the scene under the glimmering lights. Oliver thought that it was nice to see his friend really smiling again. Sometimes, with his neutral face, it was easy to forget the heart of John Diggle – but he did care for them all deeply.

"Hey," he greeted Oliver, as the other man stumbled to a stop beside him. They stood at the edge of the room looking in, dimness surrounding them compared to the bright lights of the party. He smirked, "You look like you're having fun, Mr. Queen."

To his surprise, Oliver gave a self-deprecating smile, looking down at himself and laughing. He was a little drunk, his hair ruffled and shirt becoming un-tucked. But he looked genuinely, blissfully happy. It was an expression that was becoming more usual for Oliver, but it never failed to lift Diggle's spirits – the friend standing before him now was very different to the man he had met when he'd first been hired as Oliver Queen's bodyguard. He was proud.

"Everyone needs to let off steam sometimes, Digg," Oliver grinned, words only a little slurred. "It's a good party."

"That it is, Sir," Diggle agreed. He really couldn't help but smile, even if it was just the corners of his mouth twitching up in amusement. "Shouldn't you be with Felicity?"

"Felicity?" Oliver blinked sleepily, as if only just registering that he was alone, suddenly looking around frantically, "Felicity?"

"I think she's with Sara, over there," Diggle pointed to the opposite side of the room, where he could vaguely make out two bobbing blonde heads talking. "I don't know what you'd do without her."

"Me neither, Digg, me neither. I love my Felicity," Oliver looked around again. "I want to do this with her. I want to marry her."

If Diggle had been drinking at that point in time, he would have spat out his drink in shock. In fact, he just did a double take at his tipsy friend. "Perhaps . . . perhaps you'd better not mention it to her right now. Wait until you're sober and think about it," he advised sagely, but his smile only grew, "but strictly between us . . . it's about damn time, Sir. Now get on and dance some more."

Oliver stumbled off and Diggle watched him go in disbelief, wondering just how soon he would be standing at his two best friend's wedding. They'd waited long enough, certainly . . . with that thought, the former bodyguard smirked to himself, wondering how long it would be before a betting pool on whether Oliver would actually man up and propose could be set up.

* * *

**A/N: **_I just felt like writing a 'it's not all doom and gloom' chapter. Because as much as any comic or hero story is about tragedy, and the worst is coming in the conclusion of this story, its good to remember that there's hope, too. And family. That's the important thing. Hope you enjoyed!_


	17. Kindred

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC. I'm also very sorry for the lack of updates this week, I couldn't update when I usually do on Wednesday because like the idiot I am, I tripped and gave myself concussion. I've also had a ton of film coursework so I've not had time to write. I'm very sorry, but this was such a fun chapter to write, so hopefully you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

**'Kindred'**

Lena went to Mount Justice in search of some company. It was supposed to be her night off but she couldn't sleep anyway so knew lying around waiting for the sun to come up would only piss her off. So after finding the Foundry empty, the next logical place to find someone to distract her was the Justice League headquarters. She put on her hood and mask to Zeta in but couldn't be bothered with the rest of her costume.

When she got there, she tried to hold back disappointment that it was Cyborg sitting behind the main chair, watching the monitors in case anything showed up. There was a rota for who was monitoring, someone guaranteed to be there twenty four hours a day, sometimes in pairs, but it changed too often to keep track of. People traded shifts or had other engagements; if something major went down in a hero's city, the others would cover for them here.

It wasn't that she didn't like Victor, but the truth was – she didn't know him that well. Felicity did; everyone loved Felicity, but since he spent more time working the tech end while Lena preferred field work, they hardly ever crossed paths. She had just been hoping for Hal or maybe one of the younger Bats instead, but she had forgotten that since Barry was still on his honeymoon Wally was spending the week at the Lanterns, so he couldn't be on monitor duty all week. For a second, Lena considered going to Coast to see them anyway, but Cyborg looked up and saw her, sending her a smile so genuine and lonely she relented, trudging in.

The best way to know someone better was to talk to them, right? Maybe this was a good opportunity to make a friend.

"Hey," she greeted, crossing the room before slumping in the chair beside him, earning a chuckle from the man, "you don't mind if I sit with you a bit, do you? Or I could take over if you're tired."

"I'd be glad of the company," he admitted, watching the girl from the corner of his eyes. Victor was only a year or two older than her, but much more mature, and he was a little intimidated by _the_ Saber. He asked tentatively, "Trouble sleeping?"

"I'm used to it. What about you, Vic?" she frowned thoughtfully, "do you sleep like . . . you used to?"

She had phrased the question tactfully, but he laughed for real this time, ease shifting in his gut. The way most people tip-toed around the subject was ridiculous, really, so he didn't mind an honest question. "You mean, do I sleep like a normal person still?" he grinned at her sheepishness, "I still sleep, but less often now. I can go for longer without feeling the physical strain of tiredness."

"Mmnnnn," Lena mused, lips twisted to a semblance of impression. Sitting up straight again, she asked, "What's the coolest gadget you got in there?"

He laughed again, wondering why he hadn't talked to her before. Victor admitted shyly, "I like flying, to be honest."

"Yeah, I'll bet. I remember the first time I went flying with Hal – I'll never forget it. Nothing beats that feeling."

"Exactly! I mean, the rest of this stuff is cool, and I damn well know more about computers than I ever stood a chance of learning on my own . . . but _flying_. Do you get to do it much, with GL?"

Lena nodded now, rocking back in her seat and crossing her legs. "When we patrol, he makes a construct to fly me around. It's the main reason I put up with him," she said, chuckling to herself, "when he took me to OA, they let me practise with a few rings. Flying on my own, _in space_ – it was incredible. So beautiful."

"Wow," Victor breathed, he too leaning back on his chair, eyes on the screens in front of them. He could almost imagine they were stars. "I hope I get to work a mission in space one day."

"I'm sure you will. Have you heard that the Corps are assigning another Lantern to Earth soon? Hal's super pissed about it, but I can only imagine it will mean more space-based missions or attacks."

"I heard about that . . . what do you think? It's getting pretty crowded around here."

She shrugged, "there's safety in numbers."

"That there is, I guess," he agreed. Lena hesitated, looking over like she wanted to ask more but biting her lip to stop herself. Cyborg noticed, smirking as he prompted, "Whatever it is, just ask. I guarantee I've been asked a thousand times before, I won't mind."

" . . . does it hurt?"

He knew she meant the cybernetics, laughing aloud. Yeah, of the 'top ten' questions he was asked, that was one of the most common. Deciding to settle a curiosity of his own while answering, he said, "no more than yours does, I suppose."

Lena choked out a smile of disbelief, tapping her chest. "Metal ticker," she confirmed, "how did you know?"

"Nothing gets past the glowing red eye."

She giggled at that, as did he, but they both knew there was a question hanging between them down. Victor sent her a look asking for an answer but not pushing for one, which was appreciated so Lena obliged, "a series of events – which yes, involved how I got my powers – lead to my heart being weakened to the point I was having multiple 'cardiac episodes' as the doctor put it. It's not exactly a full blown pacemaker, although I may need one sooner rather than later, but it regulates my heartbeat."

"A mini-pacemaker?"

"A mini pacemaker," she said, agreeing with a shrug. "If you knew about it all this time, why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured that was your business, not mine," Cyborg answered earnestly. "It was your secret to tell."

"Thank you, Vic."

The thanks came so quietly and honestly that he knew she really meant it, looking up and holding her gaze for a moment before nodding. He wouldn't tell anyone, even now. But he felt it was necessary to advise she told people. "You should tell someone, you know. If only for the sake that it will be important if you're ever severely injured."

"I wasn't planning on getting injured, to be honest," she joked, but he tried to keep a serious face, so she bit her lip and compromised. "Okay, if I'm ever injured, you have my permission to spill and tell the others. Deal?"

He sighed, "I suppose it'll have to do . . . you never answered your own question – does it hurt? Scratch that – should you even be running about or flying at all?"

"The doctor advised against hard physical activity, but I was never too good at taking orders," she tried to joke again. It got a response this time, Victor allowing himself a begrudging chuckle – he knew he should tell her to put her healthy first but felt like a hypocrite doing so. He was mostly robotic too, after all. She went on, breaking his chain of thought. "It used to hurt. The first few weeks, I could barely lift my arm to do anything, but I knew I couldn't go on like that forever. I trained myself, built myself back up until I had the full use back and it never really affected me at all until recently – shooting arrows was a bitch," she cackled again, "but I pushed through it, I guess. You get used to the pain after a while. I just . . . stopped noticing it. It's part of me."

"And there's your answer to if mine hurt, too," he smiled back.

They settled onto more comfortable ground after that, telling stories until morning.

* * *

When Batman ordered none of them to enter Gotham and all of the Bats stopped showing up at the Mountain, it was obvious something was wrong. When Superman went to talk to him, he returned looking disgruntled and annoyed, an emotion hard to evoke in the good-natured Kryptonian – it was quite possible the world was ending.

After a week of radio silence, Lena text Steph and told the other girl she would be showing up for their usual breakfast-for-dinner night no matter what Batman said, determined to find out what was going on with her friends. It had to be something big for Batman to give the entire League the cold shoulder.

She had been sitting in their usual booth, eating pancakes alone and glaring at anyone who sniggered at that when her friends walked in. Dick and Steph appeared at the door, the former coming to these breakfasts occasionally, looking bone-tired. They both looked terrible, actually, showing obvious signs of having taken a beating recently – but there hadn't been a breakout from Arkham, so what on earth was going on?

Turning to a waitress, Lena nodded to her plate and told her, "I'm gonna need two more of these."

"You shouldn't be here," Dick told her, coming to a stop by her table but remaining standing, one hand on his hip. He looked funny in his civvies standing in that way, so Lena ignored the obvious rudeness.

"Sit down, Dickiebird."

"You don't understand," he pleaded, taking the damn seat anyway. Lena was wearing a little smirk, a look he had come to understand as her stubborn expression – she wasn't going to let this go easily. He slid into the opposite side of the booth, sitting near the window as Steph sat silently beside him, pushing her fingers through her hair. Dick looked back across the table, "listen, we're only here because Tim's with Bruce distracting him, if he found out you'd come to the city when he'd forbidden it – well, he'd be pissed."

"He can't ban us from a city! He isn't a law to himself, Dick."

"But . . . things are complicated right now," he ground out, "Bruce is worse than he's been in a long time."

"What-"

"Don't ask. Let's call it a family matter."

"My mistake then," Lena frowned, actually looking hurt, "I thought we_ were_ family."

He sighed, "I didn't mean it like that-"

"A lot has happened in the last few days, that's all," Steph cut in, giving Dick a break. The older man slumped appreciatively, crossing his arms on the table and leaning on them with a loud huff. She understood. They were all beat. She tried to reason with her friend, "We're sorry about skipping out on our usual meetings, Lena, but-"

"I don't care about that," the younger Smoak girl interrupted, hair bouncing as she reached across the table to take her friends hand, squeezing it tightly. "A few missed lunches is nothing – it's you guys I care about. I'm worried . . . everyone is. We care."

"This is something we have to handle alone."

"Spoken like the Big Bat, Steph, you're better than that." Lena said the words as softly as she could, but Dick looked up anyway, annoyed. The two of them could argued occasionally, as all good friends do, and Dick was especially protective over his mentor. "Sorry," she added in his direction, "but you know how he is. Although he hates asking for it, help is right here if you need it – you are _not_ alone. You haven't been alone since we all met."

"You can talk," Dick snorted, "the amount of things you keep to yourself, I think we're due a little privacy."

"True," she agreed, "which is why I won't push it if you're really okay. But if you're not . . . I'm your friend. I only want to help, don't forget."

"We don't need help."

"Oh, really? That's why you look like you've just been through a meat grinder?"

"Shut the hell up, Smoak."

She heard the genuine bite in his voice and sighed, not knowing what to do. He was right, of course – if she pried, she was a hypocrite, not to mention her own tendency to refuse help. It was a trait commonly found among vigilantes and idiots. She tried to think what to say just as the waitress returned, noticing the tension on the table so putting the plates quickly down and scurrying away.

Steph eyed the pancakes guiltily, knowing she should have her mind on other things right then but she_ was_ hungry after a week straight of fighting, and they looked really good. "Can I . . .?"

"Go ahead," Lena nodded at her, "you might as well, it's on me. Consider it a peace offering. You too, Dickiebird."

As Steph tucked in, Dick felt the anger leave his shoulders, looking at his friend across the table. He knew Lena just wanted to help. She had a hero complex which rivalled most when it came to saving friends and family. But they weren't supposed to tell anyone, Bruce had forbidden it – he thought about the arguing in the Batcave again and his thoughts turned sour. He pushed the plate away, "not hungry."

"Richard John Grayson-"

"Don't start that!" he warned, but almost laughed at her tone as she said his full name, finger threateningly in the air. "Stop it."

"Don't make me come over there," Lena warned, sensing his change to joking again. "I swear, I'll force it down your throat if I have to. The both of you look like you could use a snack and a break. _Accept my pancakes!_"

"As long as 'pancakes' isn't a euphemism," Dick leaned forwards, picking up a spoon and hiding a smirk.

Of course, Bat's brooded in times like this – it took an archer to bring laughter back. God, he was grateful to have the friends he did. He tried a smile as he took a bite. Lena was laughing, and even Steph giggled, and maybe things weren't so bad. They finished in a relative quiet, but both Bats looked up to find themselves being studied after the food was gone.

Lena asked one more time, tone gentle yet insistent. "Even if I can't help in any other way, tell me what's going on and see if I can offer an unbiased opinion. Sometimes just talking things through can make them easier to carry."

Steph and Dick shared a look which ended in a tilt of a head and a nod. Then Dick turned to their friend, speaking solemnly, "Jason Todd, the second Robin, he's . . . he's back."

The other girl's face changed in an instant, "I thought-"

"He was dead?" Dick supplied, "Yeah. He _was_."

Steph sighed, "That's where things get complicated."

* * *

The first time it happened, Jason thought it was one of his old family trying to help him – and that thought made him want to punch something. He couldn't stand the thought of Bruce still trying to help him.

A week ago, he was his "biggest failure" to put it in the man's own words . . . his mentor's words. Jason always respected Bruce's opinions above all others, so it was crushing to come back and find that not only had he been replaced, but to have that label thrown in his face. Even worse, it could have been the replacement that saved him – now_ that_ was unthinkable.

He had been fighting a group of human traffickers at the docks, hopelessly outnumbered when an arrow came out of nowhere. Jason heard a clatter behind him, turning to see a man fall, his gun knocked clean from his hand – if it wasn't for the arrow, Jason would have a bullet in his head right then.

Someone had saved him. Afterwards, he looked for his saviour but they were gone without a trace, leaving just that single arrow behind.

Not knowing what to make of it, he put it to the back of his mind – until the same thing happened again three days later.

That time, he had been about to shoot a man he suspected of being the second in command to Penguin, who was on the loose and running the Gotham crime syndicate again. An arrow had caught him off guard at the last second, pinning his sleeve to the wall long enough for the man he had been about to shoot to pull out an FBI badge – he was undercover. This time, an arrow had stopped him from taking an innocent life, and he was grateful twice over.

Contrary to Bruce's belief, Jason did not like killing. It was necessary to rid Gotham of crime, a means to an end – but he avoided it when possible.

Sure this time somebody was purposefully helping him, Jason searched for hours for a clue as to who it might be, but once again found nothing. Whoever it was, they were good. Really good. Anyone who could evade him – who had been trained extensively by Batman – must be impressively talented at remaining hidden.

He was intrigued now.

It was on the fifth occasion of this happening over the span of roughly two weeks when his silent saviour finally allowed themselves to be seen. The arrow had appeared after the fight was done, striking the ground with incredible accuracy a centimetre in front of his feet.

Jason was almost pissed off at that, glaring through his hood as he looked up in the direction the arrow had been fired to see a figure on top of the nearest building, apparently waiting for him. It was too dark to make out more, but it sure as hell wasn't Batman – the shape he could make out was way too small, and even in the low light he could see brighter colours as part of their uniform. Then he was curious all over again, heading towards the fire escape of that building and climbing to the roof.

"Hey!" he called out when he clambered over the wall, seeing the figure already a few rooftops across, running away from him. "Why are you helping me?"

Jason did not receive an answer just then, but the figure stopped running. They – _she_, he could tell now, twisted until they could see him, but they were still poised to run – it was an invite to follow her. Sparing a glance at the crooks below, still out cold, he heard police sirens in the distance and made a spilt-second decision to follow her, dashing across the rooftops in pursuit.

He could have sworn she grinned at the chase.

For a while, as they made their way across Gotham via the air, leaping across rooftops or across small streets, Jason appreciated the skill of the person in front of him. They walked the Gotham skyline like they'd been doing it all their life (he would know, the only reason he was able to keep up was because he'd done the same thing for years), jumping great distances without the slightest hesitation yet making little to no noise, footsteps almost silent. Jason started to feel clunky and loud in comparison in the end, even tiring slightly between the fight and the run by the time they stopped.

They were at least three miles from the scene of the crime . . . and whoever might show up, he reasoned. Originally he'd wondered what the point of this was, but since Batman had been showing up wherever Red Hood did, he was glad to be away from there. Figuring that was the only reasonable explanation for the girl to want the distance too, he concluded that she was no friend of Batman's . . . or at least there was some bad blood between them.

"I should do that more often," he finally joked when they stopped, voice a little breathy from the run, leaving his muscles burning. Pulling off his hood for more air, leaving only his domino mask covering his face, Jason stretched and finally faced his saviour. "So . . . are you gonna explain why you helped me or not? Who are you?"

"A friend, hopefully," the girl eventually replied, her voice measured; she pulled down her green hood, showing she had a identical mask underneath and smiled. "They call me Saber."

"Red hood," Jason nodded back. "I'm waiting for an answer."

"It's nice to meet you too," she scoffed, leaning against a small rail around the roof they were standing on. She rested her arms against the top rail and put one leg up, bent at the knee and staring at him somewhat critically.

"I don't like wasting time," he snapped in return, not at all liking that gaze on him. "So answer me or stay out of my damn business."

"I'm here to talk to you, that's all."

"Why?"

"Two reasons – one, I'd like you to stop trying to kill your brothers, ideally-"

"I don't have any brothers," he spat back bitterly; "my parents are dead."

"That's not true."

"It is," he argued, "if – if_ they_ cared about me, they wouldn't have just forgotten me! They would have made Joker pay."

"I thought the Batclan were stronger than blood."

"I should have fucking known this would be about Goldie and the Replacement!" Jason suddenly spat angrily, throwing his hands up in the air. For a second, he'd believed someone wanted to help _him_, but no, who the hell would do that? "What a joke. Listen, I don't owe you squat, so stop helping me."

He tried to storm away, but heard another shout behind him. "For God's sake, let me finish! I came here for Dickiebird and Timmy, yes, but that wasn't all. The second reason was that I wanted to help_ you_, because I understand."

"What do you know?!" he spun to face her, eyes furious as he charged towards her again, stopping a few paces away. He had no idea what she was like in combat, and although he had her beat in terms of brute strength and muscle, fighting a person blind was never a good idea. He sneered, "who the fuck are you to come along like some saint and pretend you have any idea what you're talking about?"

"I know what you're going through, Jason," she said, and he felt a kick in the gut that she knew his name. Obviously Bruce had told the story of his failure to others. But although she had every reason to be angry at the abuse being hurled at her, the blonde girl's voice was soft as she went on, "I . . . when something similar happened to me, the only thing which kept me from falling apart was a friend of mine. Nobody should have to be alone at a time like this – let me help you. Not in the way you're thinking, I know you can take care of yourself – just . . . let me be a friend."

"I don't need any friends!"

She tilted her head to the side and smiled slyly, "and you say you're not a Bat."

"I don't have to listen to this bullshit!" Jason yelled, storming away once more. If she had wanted a fight, he could handle that. If she wanted to punch him and kick him and try and stop him from hurting her friends, he could handle that. But trying to get him to talk about his feelings? Nope, not today. "Stay the hell away if you know what's good for you."

"You felt like you were drowning, right?" she shouted behind him, making Jason stop in his tracks. He listened as she went on, voice shaking only slightly, as if she was putting a lot of control into keeping it steady. "When you woke up, your first thought wasn't that you were somehow alive, or about pain or even the fact that you could see nothing but green – it was that you could feel the water around you, and it felt like you were drowning."

He turned to her very slowly, already feeling himself lose control. "H-how?"

"I won't lie to you, Jason. I really don't want you to have to go through it alone – I didn't. Now you can be pissed and lash out at me all you like, or you can come and sit with me and listen. I'll tell you my story, and if you still think after it that I don't understand," she shrugged, but sadly, "you can walk away there and then. If it changes your mind, I'll listen to you, if you want me to. And maybe we can work out a way where nobody gets any more hurt than they already are."

After a moment, Jason walked over to the railing and sat down. The girl sat beside him and introduced herself this time as Lena Smoak, and then she started talking.

* * *

By the time things were settled, the sun was rising over Gotham. It was the only time of day the city didn't look completely vile. Jason kept his eyes on it as the girl left, leaving a number and a promise that if he ever needed her, she would answer.

"Jay," she said from behind him, "Don't be a stranger. But you know the other reason I was here?"

"Them. 'Dickiebird' and 'Timmy', really?"

She laughed, "I'm still thinking of a nickname for you, don't be jealous."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, resting his chin on the bar in front of him. "What's you point?"

"They're my friends too, Jay. I don't want anybody hurt."

"I'll . . . try and stay away from the Bats. But if they come after _me_-"

"All I ask is that you try. I can't tell them the same because Batman has forbidden everyone from coming into the city, he'll kill me if he finds out I'm here. But I'll try to remind them that you shouldn't fight family. Goodnight, Jaybird."

He smiled as she walked away, asking, "And I thought you didn't have a nickname for me?"

* * *

**A/N: okay I promise the plot really kicks off next, but I needed to introduce Lena having a pacemaker and Jason Todd for that to happen, so this was a fun way to give you all that information. Do you guys like Jason? I have a soft spot for him, he's one of my faves. Let me know if you want to see more or less of him. Anyway, sorry again for slow updates and have a nice night everyone. **


	18. Just in time

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC. I also don't own the song I've quoted: 'Jason Lancaster - Just in time'. Go play it.**

* * *

**'Just in time'**

_"Tell me about everything that I've missed  
Cause I'm wasting time every second not kissed  
By this girl that I've found who keeps hope on her lips  
And I believe the world keeps its heart on her sleeve  
I'd love to tell her things but my tongue catches me  
Then I toss around ideas that maybe someday she'll let me  
Be the chest that she rests on when she's done walking in her sleep"_

After the wedding reception, Diggle didn't see Oliver for a few days. Since the League had come about, he was finding himself less needed for backup on missions, which he resented a little but understood at the same time – it was better to have Superman watch your back than a retired soldier.

It wasn't something he'd hold against anyone. If anything, he too had found new friends and allies in the people in the Mount Justice. They knew war the same way he did; they saw the battle in him which wasn't yet finished. He was more of an advisor now, but Diggle knew his word was valued. That was enough, and the free time was a welcome break as well, he got to spend more time just talking with his friends or sleeping without worry of the city falling without him.

He'd spent a few days off, just spending some time with himself. The wedding had been such a big thing for months that in the few days immediately after, there was a sense of the calm after the storm – things were peaceful on all fronts, and people took time to rest.

Diggle had spent it sleeping and catching up with some truly crappy television.

When he walked into the Foundry he expected it to be empty, intending on taking the Zeta tube which had been installed underneath the club straight to Mount Justice to find the others but luckily for him, he never had to go that far. Oliver was on the salmon ladder when he walked in, almost smirking at the sight – this felt just like old times.

"Haven't you got criminals to catch, Oliver?"

On one of the top rungs, the dangling figure stilled, letting go with one hand and twisting to see the other man as he left the stairs and headed over. Oliver grinned, dropping to the floor. Grabbing his shirt and pulling it on over his sweaty body, knowing he'd have to shower before he went to dinner with Felicity that night, the archer walked over to meet his friend at the computers, still grinning.

"Not tonight, Diggle. I got a date."

"Oh, so _that's_ why you're in such a good mood," Diggle teased back. "Do you want me to stay here and watch the city in case anything happens?"

"Actually, I'm letting Lena and Roy patrol for the next few days for me," Oliver said, lips pressed together thoughtfully, "although – you know what they're like. You'd better keep an eye on them to make sure they don't accidentally kick start the end of the world."

Diggle laughed a little, "Yeah, that's pretty likely. I'll be Felicity for a few nights and run things on this end."

"You don't mind being alone down here? I could get one of the others to keep you company if you like – I know for a fact Clark likes talking with you, and Cyborg's been meaning to check out our systems for weeks."

"I think I'll manage for a few hours on my own," he rolled his eyes then paused, watching the other man carefully. Diggle hadn't forgotten what Oliver had said at the wedding about wanting to marry Felicity, but wondered if the archer remembered saying it at all. It did leave the question of whether it would happen up in the air, although Oliver seemed pretty nervous for a normal date, twisting his thumbs as he stood. "So . . . do you remember talking to me at the wedding reception?"

Immediately, Oliver shifted on his feet even more nervously, dropping eye contact as a tiny, shy smile worked its way onto his mouth. "I wasn't drunk enough to black it out, so I know what you're going to ask – and I don't know. I've been thinking about it for the last few days."

"Proposing?"

Oliver nodded, looking up to meet Diggle's eyes again. "I know I want to marry Felicity. That part hasn't changed, and I doubt it ever will – I want to be with her until the day I die. But . . . it just isn't the right time. With the League still getting on its feet and Slade and . . . everything, it just isn't right."

"Why?" Diggle asked. When Oliver reacted oddly to the question, blinking before staying silent, he went on. "Why isn't it the right time? If anything, we're in a stronger position now than we've ever been. The League may be getting started, but already look at how strong some of the bonds we've made are – we have allies. We're so used to doing this alone, it's important you don't forget that. And you should_ never_ let Slade stop you from being happy: Felicity doesn't."

"So . . . you're saying I should do it? I should ask her to marry me?"

"I'm saying there's no such thing as the 'right time'. There's always going to be something happening, with lives like ours – the world seems to be ending every other week – hell, if anything; these are reasons you _should_ do it."

"I should do it," Oliver echoed, but still looked unsure. Then he looked guilty, "but I'll be making her even more of a target."

"We don't know what's coming, true, but right now we're better equipped to survive it than ever. You'll be making her a target, but . . . well, you'll be making her happy, too. She loves you. We should take every chance of being happy we can get," Diggle told him, smiling as he did so. "People get married in times of war, Oliver. They always have."

"I know," the archer agreed, "I'm just . . . thinking on it."

"You don't fall in love with your head."

Oliver's confusion morphed into a smile, teeth showing as he grinned up at his friend again. "You're a genius, Digg. I want you to say that at the wedding."

"So there's going to be a wedding?"

"Yeah," Oliver said, pulling a small box out of his pocket. He opened the red velvet box to show a ring inside: it was a small diamond with a silver band, gold at the edges and woven through the silver like oil on water. It wasn't flashy or brash, it was simple and beautiful. It was perfect. The archer grinned again, "It was my great-grandmothers ring. The morning after the wedding, I found it out of my mom's room and I've been carrying it around, trying to talk myself into doing it. I guess I just needed some encouragement."

"It's perfect," Diggle agreed, joining in with the smiling, which was spreading like an infection that night. "Are you gonna do it tonight?"

"No, I want to do something really special. I – I have an idea, but I want to call in some extra help first."

"She'll love whatever you do, you know that, right?"

Oliver smiled knowingly, turning and heading for the stairs. He couldn't keep the joy off his face. He was going to marry Felicity. Well, to rephrase that – he was going to ask. She might say no yet. But somehow . . . he couldn't imagine that happening. They were meant to be together; he believed that now.

Grabbing his jacket, he all but ran up the stairs, throwing over his shoulder, "Night, Digg."

"Goodnight, Mr. Queen."

* * *

The next day, Oliver found himself in the medical bay of Mount Justice. Sara had been caught off guard the day after the wedding taking on some sort of half-god with Diana, a fight Oliver didn't know the specifics of, and frankly he didn't want to ask. The League and aliens he was getting used to – demi gods was something else entirely. He wasn't touching it with a ten foot pole.

Sara had been caught by some sort of blast, and Diggle's words the day before had reminded him to visit. Armed with chocolates and a card Felicity had written for both of them, he knocked on the door with a smile, going in when he saw she was awake and alone, looking grateful for a friendly face.

"For me?" she smiled, taking the card and gift, "tell Felicity I say thank you."

"Will do," Oliver took the chair by the bed. "How are you doing?"

"I'm bored."

"That's what you get when you pick fights with Gods."

"It was Diana's idea. She said it would be fine – but I've not got healing powers like her. Never again," Sara shook her head, "next time-"

"You'll go with her again, and you know it," Oliver laughed. "Who are you kidding? Diana is like your best friend now."

Sara snorted, "You're the one here now. What _are_ you doing here, anyway?"

"I-I kinda wanted to ask you for a favour," he cringed a little. With all the history between him and Sara, he wanted to tell her in person about his plans to propose – she had been so supportive of him and Felicity so far, but suddenly he felt uncomfortable. "Um, I . . . I wanted to tell you myself. I thought it was only fair but er, I – I'm going to ask Felicity to marry me."

To his relief, Sara's jaw dropped open for a second before her face burst into a smile, "No way!" She squirmed in excitement in the bed, jumping up to sit straighter and squealing. "This is great news, Ollie. I knew you'd do it someday – but between you and me, I still thought you were too much of an idiot to do it."

Oliver scoffed, retorting dryly, "Thanks a lot, Sara."

"Well, you're hardly the king of commitment," she countered, grabbing his hand when he dropped eye contact grumpily, "I'm trying to tell you I'm impressed – look at you, growing up. I think this is the best thing you could do."

He smiled again, "really?"

"You two love each other. You'd be mad not to act on that."

"So . . . you're okay with it?"

"More than okay," Sara confirmed, nodding, "I know there's . . . _stuff_ between us, but you're my friends – I want you to be happy. I'm _so_ pleased for you."

"Will you help me?" Oliver asked, grinning in relief and showing the ring to her. "I have an idea, but it needs work – I want it to be perfect. And I'll need a few helping hands."

"Say the word and it's yours, Ollie. But please, don't screw this up."

He shook his head, "I'm trying really, really hard not to."

* * *

"Don't fuck it up," Roy said. Oliver had just told him about planning to propose, and it kind of hurt that those words were the younger man's immediate response. He opened his mouth to dispel the point, but Roy spoke again, "yeah, yeah, 'you'd never do that' and all, but it just needs to be said. Felicity is a good person."

"That's why I want to marry her," Oliver commented hesitantly.

He knew Felicity had probably been kind to Roy over the years, probably a lot more than he was at the start, but the other man's protectiveness was usually saved for the younger of the Smoak siblings. He'd never admit it, but it made Oliver smile inwardly that Roy stuck up for Felicity.

"Shut up," Roy scowled, noticing the stupid little smile on his mentor's face. "She is a good person – she's better than _you_, old man. Felicity has a lot of people looking out for her, and if you ever did wrong by her, well, you know what they'd do . . ."

"Understood," Oliver nodded. He'd expected threats and teasing like this, but not from Roy. It was unexpected, but the good kind of surprise. "Nice to know you care."

"Everyone cares about Felicity. It's who she is."

* * *

At the weekly League meeting, Oliver stood up at the end to make an announcement. Everyone was there but Barry, who was still on his honeymoon, but that couldn't be helped. Oliver couldn't wait for him to get back – he had to do this before he got too nervous and mucked it up, the weight of the ring in his pocket getting heavier every day.

It didn't belong there – it should be on Felicity's finger.

"I know that we've all let ourselves go a bit, with the wedding and everything," Oliver said, pretending to be all business. "We've been complacent – happy, even for a few days. We've been patrolling less, spending time with our friends and helping them out instead." There were a few murmurs among the League, Hal muttering about him being a killjoy loudly. He smiled, "I hope you're not ready to stop."

Now the whispering got loudly, until Oracle finally looked him in the eyes. Behind her glasses, she looked a mixture of wary and a little hopeful – she was Felicity's best friend. She could only hope what was being implied was what she thought it was. "Is there something you're trying to tell us, Arrow?"

"I'm going to propose to Felicity," Oliver announced with a grin, "I was hoping you'd all help me out."

A round of hugs, congratulations, four death threats if he hurt her and slaps on the back later, Oliver stood in a circle of his friends and showed them the ring. Things were shaping out to get interesting soon. There was only one person left to tell.

* * *

Oliver Queen was a man who fought super villains on a regular basis. He had almost died more times than he could count; suffered things no man should have to and come out fighting, spat in the face of people who wanted him dead and never once batted an eye to fear.

But he was slightly scared of Lena Smoak.

"I er, I have something to tell you," he said, jumping around the subject as much as possible. They were standing on a roof in the city, their comms thankfully being monitored by Oracle that night, who he could hear sniggering so promptly pulled his out and left it on the wall behind him. "I-"

"You're going to ask Felicity to marry you."

"What?" Oliver jumped back at her words. She was sitting with her legs over the side of the building and hadn't even turned to face him as she spoke. He choked back a little, "how did you know?"

"I'm not stupid; you've been carrying around the ring all week."

"Is it that obvious?" he yelped, crossing to lean against the wall beside her. Worried Felicity might have noticed too, his face frowned as he perched, kicking himself mentally. He'd really wanted it to be a surprise.

"She won't know," Lena reassured him, finally moving to smirk at him only to see him panicking. "Christ, Oliver, don't start crying."

"You're such a jerk."

"A jerk whose family you'll be marrying into," she grinned smugly, "Ollie Smoak."

"That's not how it works – shut up," he shoved her despite being on the roof edge, but she only swayed right back, still laughing.

"Just kidding: 'Felicity Queen' has a much better ring to it."

"I-" Oliver trailed off, smiling to himself now. He hadn't even thought about Felicity changing her name – but hearing it aloud, it sounded amazing. He tried it, too, sounding the words out carefully, "Felicity Queen."

Lena was watching him, and couldn't suppress her own smile. If they could see him now, no one could possibly doubt that he loved Felicity completely. She was so, unbelievably happy for that. Someone would always look after her sister; Felicity would be loved.

But she couldn't let Oliver win. "Dork," she smirked, "what are you, twelve?"

Oliver just grinned more, slinging an arm around her shoulders and swinging happily, "No, just in love."

"Someone pass me a bucket," Lena laughed, miming being sick. After the both of them laughed for a while, each happy for their own reasons, she turned her head enough to see him again as they fell silent. For a moment, she looked sad. "I'm only joking, you know. I'd glad you're both so sickening – at least you're in love. . . I'm glad she has you. Just don't screw it up when she needs you the most."

"Are you okay?" Oliver frowned.

"M'fine," she shrugged, trying not to tear up. "Just happy for you."

"Me too," he answered, "I need your help on this, to make it perfect. You in?"

"'Course, whatever you need. Have you got a plan?"

He nodded, "Want to go over it with me? You know your sister better than almost anyone; maybe you can make a few suggestions."

"You're on until we get a call. And since you'll owe me for my help, Saber gets to take whatever case comes in first."

"Deal."

"Great. Now show me the ring," she chirped excitedly, and they spent the next few hours planning. By the time they went home, the wheels were in motion for Felicity to be engaged within two days, maybe three. It all depended on how long it took them to get everything together.

* * *

"I'm exhausted," Felicity announced, leaning back on her chair and pulling off her glasses to rub her eyes. It had been a long day at Mount Justice, with the UN and the White House all demanding official guidelines for the League to operate under. It had all been unofficial until now, but after six months, it really needed to be sorted out, so it worked better both ways – the government had the best protection for the world and the League had immunity. "I know this is important, but . . ."

"Get out of here Felicity, go home," Barbara answered, sending her a knowing smile. She was doing that a lot today, like she knew something and was excited about it. "I can finish off these contracts, no worries."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks," Felicity smiled, getting to her feet and pulling on her coat, the black trench wrapping around her figure comfortably. She put her glasses back on and went over to her friend, touching the back of Barbara's chair briefly. "I owe you one. See you tomorrow, Babs."

"Later, Felicity."

The blonde left the Mountain, keying in the codes for the Zeta without even having to think now. She stood and waited for the light and buzzing around her to stop, squeezing her eyes shut; she always did when she teleported, as it left her feeling nauseous sometimes. When the bright light faded from underneath her eyelids, she opened her eyes, expecting to see the Foundry and gasped.

It was beautiful.

The space had been completely transformed since she'd walked through it to the Zeta tube just that morning, the familiar setting given a new lease of life and changed from vigilante centre to something . . . astounding. There were fairy lights strung up everywhere, wound around the computers and equipment, bright and twinkling gently, setting the scene in a low white glow. As well as the lights, there were enough candles about on the floors and space surfaces to look like a scene from a movie, and in the middle of all of that – Oliver.

He was wearing a grey suit, the vest peeking from under the jacket, the lining the same cobalt blue as his tie, which made his eyes really pop. Handsome as ever: slick and bright eyes and he knew for a fact she loved it when he wore suit vests. The sleekness was setting set off alarm bells in Felicity's head as she slowly approached him, looking around for an explanation.

"Oliver . . . ?"

As soon as she appeared, he had smiled. And not a tight-lipped, vigilante smile – the one only she really saw. It grew of his face slowly, catching across his features like a fire until it encompassed it, leaving him grinning without fear. When he dropped to one knee, Felicity felt her heart stop as everything began to move in slow motion.

"Felicity," he said, catching her attention. She looked down at him, mouth agape and eyes wide beneath her glasses. Trying to speak, she couldn't even form a sound for once, making him laugh. "Don't say anything – let me get through this. I've spent the last two days figuring out what to say, so . . ."

She choked out a laugh, already feeling her eyes well up with tears as he pulled out a ring box. Opening it, he bit his lip nervously as he glanced up at her.

"Felicity Smoak – you are incredible. I have known that for such a long time, and it still surprises me so I'm reminded all over again how much I love you. You are the smartest, the kindest, the most wonderful and beautiful person I have ever known. You are so much better than I am, and I can't believe how lucky; how privileged I am to be with you." He stopped to clear his throat, noticing the tear falling down her face as she smiled now at him, head tilted to one side. Looking at her, only one thought sprung to mind. "God, you're beautiful. And every morning I wake up, see you, and think that. When you fall asleep with your head on my chest, or I have a nightmare and all I have to do to calm down to reach over to grab your hand, I know I want to wake up that way for the rest of my life."

"You saved me," he said, getting ready for the big words now. "You came into my life and brought light where I didn't think it was possible. There's not enough ways in the world for me to show you just how much I love you, but I'll try to prove it to you every day, I will, and even then it won't be enough to really show you how I feel. I love you. I – I love you more than I thought I ever could love a person. So, Felicity Smoak . . . will you marry me?"

He looked up at her hopefully, praying his voice didn't shake as much as he felt like it did during his speech and trying not to cry. He had an image to maintain, after all, and everyone was waiting upstairs for them.

Felicity released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Nodding, she brushed away a tear and said shakily, "Yes. A thousand times, yes."

Oliver grinned, relief flashing through him as he put the ring on her finger, standing the moment it was on and kissing her. Felicity was smiling, even as they did, lips curved up as they both broke apart to laugh a little.

She kept her arms around his neck, smiling coyly, "I have to say, you really went all out with this."

"I had help," he admitted sheepishly, blushing slightly as her fingers traced the back of his neck, "I was kind of terrified of messing it all up. Was it okay?"

"It was perfect."

"That's a relief. Come on," Oliver said, thing her hand in his own, kissing her once more quickly and heading for the stairs, "there's a lot of people upstairs waiting to see if you said yes."

"Oliver," she said firmly, stopping him so he stood in front of her, hands entwined. "There was never any doubt. I love you, too."

He only grinned as they carried on, bursting out into the club together. The smiles on their faces were answer enough, and within seconds they were swarmed by their gathered friends and family. In the next ten minutes, Felicity was hugged more times than she had thought possible, and Oliver was clapped on the back, hugged by a few and had a dumb grin on his face the entire time. Everyone he cared about was right there, and the most amazing girl in the world was going to marry him.

Life was good. It had taken a while, but everything was perfect. He was so lucky to be loved by someone so whole-heartedly and completely _good_, and he was going to spend the rest of his life trying to be a better man for her.

* * *

**A/N: I really, really hoped you guys liked this, so I'm just going to leave it at that. Also, is 'just in time' the_ perfect_ olicity song or what?!**


	19. New Traditions

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Arrow or DC. I also really like Christmas stories.**

* * *

**'New Traditions'**

"Just hear those sleigh bells jinglin', ring ting tinglin' toooooo-"

The singing came from the Zeta tube, which stopped glowing to emit Nightwing and Saber, who were terribly warbling along to the carol, just coming back from patrol but already changed into regular clothes. A gust of harsh wind accompanied their entrance, signs that it was snowing in Bludhaven clear from the frosty dusting across their heads and shoulders. Lena was laughing from her spot on Dick's back, arms looped around his neck as he ran them around in a piggyback, practically skipping over to the main computer.

"Stop," Batman said immediately. The other League members present; Felicity, Barbara, Flash, GL and J'onn, tried not to look amused. Dick dropped his friend to the ground as his smile dimmed a little, turning into a pout.

"Aw, come on," he pleaded with his mentor, "it's Christmas in a week! Cheer up a little."

"That's no excuse to run around like idiots. You're examples to the public: act like it."

"We're people, B. No one saw us anyway because we decided to cut patrol short and hang out as civilians tonight."

"Right," Lena agreed with a huge grin, "can Timmy and Steph come out to play?"

Batman didn't even move before answering, "No."

"Pleassseeee?" Lena and Dick begged as one.

"_No_," Batman said. When he saw their disappointed faces, he sighed, "I'm sorry but they're training at the moment. Diana is in the gym with them."

"She can come too!" Lena argued enthusiastically, "I'm sure Diana would love to come carolling with us. It's teambuilding." When Batman looked at her skeptically, she argued, "It is! People spend time together, trust each other more, learn more about each other, and then they work better as a team. Plus, we can't spend our entire lives behind the masks, we'd go mad."

"Come on, Bats," Barry cut in, grinning, "let the kids have their fun. It's Christmas."

"You've said," Batman said curtly but then noticed the matching grins Flash and Green Lantern were wearing. The Dark knight sighed, "You want to go as well, don't you?"

"Yeah," Hal agreed, dumb grin on his face, "come on, karaoke and singing in general is a tradition at this point."

"Exactly," Lena pointed at him. "New Traditions; bonds that will hold us together now and in darker times – all that spiritual crap. It's one night with some friends, please?"

For a moment, they all watched the Batman as he thought, looking at the wave of hopeful faces turned in his direction. Even Barbara was watching him over her glasses, daring him to say no. They were going one way or another, he was sure. Sighing, he pressed a gloved finger to a comm button, his voice echoing through the Mountain. "Batgirl and Robin, report to the Zeta tube in five. Wear civilian clothing."

"Yes!" Dick crooned, "Thanks, B."

"You'll both make up for it in the New Year," Batman announced, looking at both of the young heroes before him. "Dick, I know you're trained well enough and Lena, even I will admit that your proficiency with weapons is . . . impressive. You will train all of the younger members of the League a minimum of three times a week for the foreseeable future."

Dick squinted confusedly, "why?"

"Because you're right. Somehow, you have all formed a bond, a team I believe would work well on missions separately from the League. It's something I'll be thinking on – but one day soon, you two may be supervising said team. They will be your responsibility. I'll see you both in the morning – try not to get too carried away carolling."

Batman walked off without another word, leaving them both standing shocked in his wake. Lena recovered first, blinking before spluttering, "Did he just _compliment_ me?"

"It really is a Christmas miracle," Barbara quipped dryly, smirking. "You guys just became team Mom and Dad. So cute."

"Shut up," Dick laughed, going over to her, "want to come with us? Some time away from screens will do you good."

"I'm okay. Felicity and I are only going to stop here a few more hours, then there's a thing at S.T.A.R Labs we're going to."

"Well, have fun."

"You too," Oracle smiled as Tim and Steph ran over, looking confused. She answered their unspoken questions. "Batman's letting you have a night off. These two idiots want to go carolling."

"Great!" Steph chirped immediately, grabbing Tim's hand and running straight towards the Zeta, "what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Seconded!" Hal yelled, running with them. Soon, everyone intending to go was waiting for Lena, who had run over to talk to her sister.

"Felicity," she greeted with a hug, her voice taking on an edge of awkwardness as she continued, "listen, me and Luca are going to see mom on Christmas Eve – just to take some flowers for the holidays – do you wanna come? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, of course I want to come," Felicity shook her head. The ring on her finger glinted, and even after months of wedding planning she still wasn't used to seeing it there. "That sounds, um, that'll be great. Thanks for inviting me."

Lena twitched a smile, "Christmas is family time. There's just . . . a lot more family this year."

"Yeah," Felicity agreed with a smile. "It's good. Go, have fun."

"Don't get into too much trouble without me!"

"Same to you," Felicity laughed, and the carollers disappeared in a chorus of cheers a moment later. Christmas last year had been fun. This year – with their much larger family and friends – it was setting out to be monumental.

* * *

"Good afternoon, wife-to-be," Oliver greeted, wrapping his arms around Felicity from behind and feeling her laugh. She tilted to see him, raising her eyebrows as if to say 'really?' so he grinned sheepishly. "Don't use that again. Got it."

"We haven't even picked a date yet, which I am fine with because we're in no rush to get married and I really like telling people I'm Oliver Queen's fiancée," Felicity admitted, smiling at him guiltily, "so let's not get over the top with the wedding stuff, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, "I'm marrying you – everything's okay."

"Charmer."

"You're still gonna kiss me now," Oliver teased, as Felicity did just that. They had been engaged for a few months, but didn't plan on actually getting married for another year. He really was fine with waiting - there was no need to rush things and he was happier than he could ever remember being right where he was. He squeezed her tighter, "are you ready to go? They'll be waiting for us."

She nodded, but hesitantly.

"What is it?" Oliver asked, tilting her chin up with his hand gently, "you really don't have to go."

"I do," she argued. "I just . . . I still feel guilty thinking about mom."

"Felicity-"

"It's stupid, I know," she said, shrugging sadly, "it's just how I feel."

"Don't hold on to it forever," Oliver advised, rubbing circles on her back thoughtfully, "what happened can't be changed, but you're making up for it now with all the good you do. And I don't believe for one second that your mother would blame you. Lena has forgiven you, she adores you, Felicity. Let it go."

"But I should still go to remember her . . ."

"Yes. But don't feel guilty, not for a second. Remember the good instead."

"You're alright at this support stuff," Felicity told him, looking up at him gratefully, "are you sure you want to come with us?"

"Positive. Let's get going," he announced, and they headed for the Zeta tubes, hands clasped together. A beam of light later and they stepped out into Coast City, noticing the blob of blonde hair which had to be Lena a little way off.

As they got closer, the two forms sitting on a wall drinking coffee became clearer, their talking carrying on the winter wind. Nothing really had to be said when they met up, Luca and Oliver nodding to each other as the younger man collected the Christmas wreath leaning against the wall and began carrying it as they walked. Lena moved to walk next to her sister, aiming a smile in her direction, and their line made their way through the streets for the next twenty five minutes in silence.

Graveyards were always busy at Christmas.

People liked to remember family at the season. They flocked to graveyards as often as stores, carrying flowers and tears and quiet a quiet 'Merry Christmas'. Apparently, half of Coast City had the same idea they had that Christmas Eve, as when they arrived at the cemetery, it was packed with people.

Felicity thought shopping on Christmas Eve was a bad idea, but it was even busier here.

"There," Luca said, breaking her thoughts as he set the wreath on her mother's grave. Both Lena and Felicity looked a little pale, so he did his best to fill the silence, kneeling next to the plant to touch the top of the grave, "look, Mrs. Smoak, we brought Christmas to you."

Lena laughed a little at that, tapping her friend on the back so he stood and leaning against him when he did, head on his shoulder. She put her hand into his pocket and found his warmer one, squeezing it. "I think she'd like it," Lena agreed, "thanks for coming."

"That's three Christmases we've spent together now," Luca thought aloud, "some good times . . ."

"Yeah. Yeah, there was."

"Oh, hermana, don't cry," he soothed when her voice cracked. Luca was good at keeping himself in check, but he missed Mrs. Smoak, too. It was in the short time he lived with her and Lena that he felt wanted, like he had people who cared for him. He loved them for that, so he said again, "it's a good life."

While Luca and Lena were talking, Oliver had been trying to watch over his fiancée. Felicity was standing right in front of the grave, face frozen as her hand gripped his too tightly. He moved closer to her. "You okay?"

"Y-yes," Felicity choked out. "Sorry, I just . . . miss her. I miss this city whenever I come back."

"It's your home, of course you do."

"No," she shook her head, turning to look at him, "you're my home."

Oliver couldn't keep the smile off his face at that. "Perhaps both of us are. I was thinking about the last time we were here, actually-"

"When we got shot at?"

"I was focusing more on the part after that," he rolled his eyes, "that beach you took us to . . . it really was the most peaceful place I've ever seen. And it's quiet. So I was thinking – what if we got married there? On the beach, get some chairs and maybe a little deck . . . what do you think?"

Felicity kissed him, not feeling the cold so much anymore. When they broke apart, she smiled, "that sounds perfect." Touching him on the forearm and giving him a look telling him he was an idiot, Felicity approached the stone and put a hand on it. She was going to be just fine. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

They left not too long after that, Luca telling some story of Mrs. Smoak, occasionally helped by Lena, who had fallen a little quiet. She missed her mom a lot. At the Zeta tube, they stopped.

"What are you guys doing now?" Felicity asked, looking over at the two younger people.

"I have somewhere to be, but Luca could use a hand with his things, if you didn't mind," Lena replied. For the second time, her friend was staying for Christmas . . . but today, she had to make sure another one didn't spend the entire season alone. "I'll see you later?"

"Don't stay out too late."

Lena disappeared, heading for Gotham, leaving the three other adults together.

Luca looked at his feet, "Thank you for letting me stay again, Mr. Queen. I'm really grateful."

"You've known me for a year," Oliver laughed, clapping the younger man on the back, "it's Oliver."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Let's go get your bags."

"After you?" Luca stepped back to let them enter the tube first. But as they disappeared, he couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice as he commented, "this is _so cool_."

Neither Oliver nor Felicity could argue with that.

* * *

Jason felt a kiss planted on his cheek, and someone flopped into the bar stool next to him a moment later. He turned to see Lena, her cheeks flushed from the cold but a smile on her face, although that changed when she looked around the dingy bar.

"You sure know how to treat a girl, Jay."

"What are we doing here?" he demanded in answer, wiping the spot on his cheek and noticing her smirk when he did so. Taking another sip of his scotch, he winced at her answer.

"It's Christmas."

"So?"

"No one should be alone at Christmas," Lena replied, tone earnest.

If anyone else had pulled his, Jason would have flipped out, thinking it was a joke or a trap. But there was an honesty about Lena that meant he didn't doubt for a second that any of this was false. Didn't mean he liked it.

"I don't need your pity, Smoak," he growled, downing his drink and getting to his feet. Jason was about to storm away when an arm aught his, forcing him to look at her again. "Let me_ go_."

"Come on, Birdy. I've played by your rules for months, helped you out, stayed away when you've asked . . . all I'm asking for is one drink at Christmas. Have a little holiday spirit."

"We're _not_ friends," he ground out, glaring at her but instantly feeling guilty when the bright look in her eyes dampened a little, leaving her looking hurt.

Damn it. They shouldn't be friends – she worked with Batman and his bratty bat siblings, and he didn't need anyone – he shouldn't want anyone – they should be allies at best. But damn it, she was the only person who willingly spent time with him, and she had patched him up a lot these last months, even to the point when he'd just hung out with her a few times . . . they were friends. He might as well face it. With a sigh, Jason sat back down and nodded to the bartender, "I'll have another, and whatever she's having."

Lena smiled happily as she ordered her drink.

For the next few hours, they drank and sat with occasional conversation, mostly one-sided on Lena's part. Jason didn't know why she bothered with him, but it kind of made him happy that someone did. He knew he should be better to her, so began grudgingly talking, going over a few cases he hoped a fresh set of eyes could help on. It was when she made a comment about Penguin's eyebrows that he sniggered.

"Wait, was that a _smile_?" Lena teased, leaning forwards to check. Sure enough, Jason was smiling under his hair, turning into his drink to hide it. But she wasn't letting it go now, "What a Kodak moment."

"Shut up."

"No, really, I feel like I should definitely take a photo to remember this, who knows when it will happen again?"

"I could kill you easily."

"Call the presses: Jason Todd is_ smiling_," she finally ducked the playful punch sent her way, catching his arm and slinging it around her own shoulders, leaning into him. "Aw, Jay. You see? - Learning to have fun already."

"Piss off," he cursed, shoving her away so that she nearly fell off her stool. Quite a few drinks had passed between them now; he could feel his face warm, and still couldn't wipe the dumb smile off his face. "You're the worst."

"Merry Christmas to you, too."

"Yah, yah, merry whatever."

Lena smiled, knowing that was the closest to the real thing she was ever going to get. Downing the rest of her drink, she got to her feet and put a hand on his shoulder, "I only do this because I care, you know. Remember what I said? No one should have to deal with this alone. Now you've got me whether you like it or not, and you're _not_ spending the entire holidays alone. Come to the party tomorrow?"

"You know I can't," he answered, but felt guilty about it for the first time, "the Bats will be there. I don't want to ruin your Christmas with a fight."

She let out a sigh of disappointment, before she got a better idea. "Okay, but I am coming over to your place on boxing day with leftover turkey sandwiches and we can watch crappy TV movies like normal people. Got it?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No. See you in two days," she said, walking out of the bar a moment later.

Jason just shook his head and sipped his drink, wondering what on Earth he'd done to deserve a friend like that.

* * *

The Christmas party at Mount Justice turned out to be quite an event. Felicity thought last year's party was big enough, but now . . . it reminded her how much their family had grown in a year.

Like Oliver had done on New Year's before, she looked around the room during the party and took stock of all the people there, trying to commit their faces and laughter to memory. Because really, no matter if she lived to ninety-nine and was old and grey, she wanted to hold on to this forever, above all else; the feeling of being surrounded by people she loved.

It was a crowded room, with both the original and main members of the League as well as the back-up heroes showing up and socializing.

Oliver, her fiancée, was talking to a smirking Diggle and J'onn, glass in hand and an easy smile on his face. A few years ago, she didn't think it would be possible for him to be so relaxed. At her gaze, he looked across the room at her and smiled, so she did the same back. Her heart skipped a beat now as it did the first time they had shared such a look.

Hal was wearing a Santa suit and running around with mistletoe, avoiding Diana, who he had grabbed and kissed ten minutes ago. The Amazon stalked after him, and Felicity did not pity the Lantern at that moment – he was in deep trouble. The new Earth Lantern's – John and Guy – stood laughing at their fellow corps member with Sara, like kids on a slightly bigger playground.

Barbara was sitting in her chair in the corner with two of the reserve League members, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. They were goofballs, but well-meaning. The Beetle at least was a genius, which explained why Babs looked so interested in the conversation; Felicity spotted Tim standing nearby, listening to the conversation as best he could with one ear, while he tried to look interested partially in whatever Stephanie was babbling on his other side.

Barry was standing with Iris and Wally – his own family. He was grinning, and his eyes were alive. It was heart-warming.

Roy was chatting with Clark, Kara, Dick and Bruce, an odd arrangement of people – and was Bruce smiling? Felicity did a double take. No way. She grinned as she looked on, sure that would be one to remember for later, next time Batman was in an extra-grumpy mood.

Her eyes skimmed over a few more friendly faces, searching for her sister. Lena couldn't be found anywhere, as Felicity began to worry, as she always did when the younger girl wandered from view. Felicity swore that having an entire family in the vigilante business was worrying her so much she'd be grey by thirty.

Then she spotted her across the room, standing in a doorframe with Luca, just like she was. They seemed to be talking softly as they looked across the room; even as Felicity's eyes found them, Luca's face cracked open in a laugh as Lena smirked knowingly.

"Are you okay?"

Felicity blinked, and Oliver was in front of her, holding her arm. She smiled, "why wouldn't I be? This is . . ."

"It's something, alright," he agreed, putting an arm around her. Handing her a glass, he lifted it in a toast, "to doing this for many, many years, with more people and more reasons to smile."

Felicity nodded, clinking their glasses together and drinking. "I hope so. I really, really do."

* * *

**A/N: Guys, I did it. I finished the story. All that's left is to keep posting it, and I'll maybe write an epilogue if you ask for one. I can't bloody believe it; it's been about three months since I started 'The Other Smoak Girl' and now it's done, whew. I wrote a Justice League oneshot called 'Flash of rage' the other day too, please check it out and don't forget to review! **


	20. Battle plan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow or DC. The quote referenced at the start is something I came across at college the other day.**

* * *

**'Battle plan'**

_"It's the fear of what comes after the doing that makes the doing so hard to do. But you can almost always live with the consequences" – Tony Kushner, Angels in America._

It was February when Lena came up with a plan. She knew her time was running short; on a mission in DC the week before, she had noticed a shift in the shadows – a few assassins watching her but not engaging. The League of Shadows had kept their distance for over a year, but if they were watching her – _he_ was coming. Ra's was coming for his revenge.

She was in a car driving on fumes, and they were running out of time.

"Jason?" she asked, hearing the phone click on the other end. Pulling the zips on her leather jacket shut, she climbed out of her window, sliding down the roof until her feet touched down on the gravel path, following it to the gates of the Queen mansion. She needed to get to the Foundry so she could use the Zeta tube. "Can you meet me at the Dragon Inn motel in an hour? It's in Bludhaven."

"At a stretch," he replied. "Something up?"

" . . . Sorta."

"That bad?"

She sighed, "Worse."

"On my way, Saber," Jason replied, voice uncharacteristically free of mocking. "What room?"

"I47."

The line clicked dead, leaving Red Hood staring at it with a frown. Sighing, he rolled up and out of bed, intending on catching a quick shower before heading out. He had patrolled until late the night before trying to pin down a set of dealers specialising in high-tech electronically powered weapons which could take out the entire GPPD, and had a plan to take them down once and for all tonight . . . if he wasn't busy. Lena needed help, and that outranked everything; she was the only friend he had.

* * *

Jason tapped his knuckles against the wooden door twice, noticing how the brass number '4' was crooked, hanging out of alignment. It was only a brief observation; however, as the door was opened quickly by a dark-haired man he'd never met before, notably foreign but handsome, face marked with an afternoon shadow and quick, intelligent eyes.

The man looked at him, "Jason?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Jay," Lena's shouted from inside, "play nice. This is Luca."

The man in front of him smirked softly, standing aside to let Jason enter the room, seeing Lena sitting on the bed with a laptop and map spread out in front of her. Luca clicked the door closed behind the new arrival and returned to her side, picking up the map to study it more closely with a thoughtful expression.

Hands in his pockets, Jason made a face at the friend still not acknowledging him. "So . . . ? Why am I here?"

Lena glanced up at him finally, shutting the laptop's lid and moving to stand in front of him. She looked serious, only the usual brightness on her face, not even cracking a joke about the fact that he had come running. "I need your help."

"I gathered. Care to expand?"

"I don't want to die, Jay," she said frankly, eyes misting over. "I don't want to leave my family alone; I want to be here, causing trouble with them. But Ra's Al Ghul won't let me live, not unless I give him . . . a reason to see sense."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Something dangerous. I wish I didn't have to ask, but-"

"I'm expendable and you know I couldn't refuse you," Jason smirked humourlessly, noticing the hurt which flashed over her features at the words.

"No!" Lena yelled, slapping him on the arm but leaving her hand on his shoulder. "You're important to me, Jay, but I also trust you where I can't trust the others. They can't know about this . . . Roy knows, but he's too involved. He cares too much. You, I can trust to see reason."

He paused. ". . . I'm listening."

With a look back at Luca, Lena started to outline her plan to the Hood, knowing it would probably end in disaster.

* * *

"Hal!" Oliver ran to catch up with the Lantern, frown on his face. The Green-clad man was very, very confused, and kept stealing glances down into the main deck of the Mountain, where the newcomer was talking with Oracle and Felicity. "Who's the new guy?"

"John Stewart," Hal sighed, stopping and glaring down similarly, "he's been assigned to this sector."

"_Another one_?"

"Tell me about it," Hal pouted. A slight feeling of guilt crept up in his chest, but he forced it down and put on his normal condescending tone. "Apparently the Guardians think I'm completely useless now. Keep sending new Lanterns just because-"

He cut himself off quickly, the sentence dying on his lips.

Oliver didn't like that at all, gaze sharpening. "Because of what, Hal?"

"Nothing."

"Really? That's why there are three of you now, is it?" Oliver pushed, taking another step towards the other man. He had a bad feeling about this, setting into the pit of his stomach sickeningly. "What's going on? Is . . . is something coming?"

"I don't know - not for sure," the Lantern whispered leaning in to void being over heard. Glancing once to check the coast was clear, he admitted with worry, "Remember after the whole thing with Scarecrow when I had to take off for a while? I was called back to Oa because of an incident there. A . . . a Black Lantern ring was stolen."

"What's the difference between Black and Green?"

"Everything," Hal answered seriously, "Black Lantern rings work on the dead. They're corruptible, dangerous – this isn't good. It makes the reanimated corpses slaves, essentially, and they're damn hard to beat. It's got the Guardians running scared enough to send backups."

Oliver mused it out, "What are the chances of this thing coming to Earth?"

"I really can't say. We know it was hired thieves who stole it, but it could be anywhere in the universe by now. There's no way of telling until it resurfaces."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," the Arrow advised, noticing the other man's solemn attitude. He tried a smile, "even these new guys might not be so bad if you give them a chance."

Hal scoffed, "I don't play well with others."

Oliver just rolled his eyes and walked away, but still the feeling remained that something bad was coming.

* * *

"Wait," Jason said, pacing in the motel room and exclaiming loudly, "you're insane! Even more than I am! Your plan – your entire plan to keep yourself alive – is to be at _cold war_ with the League of Shadows?"

Lena frowned, sighing loudly and covering her eyes with her hand. "Well, when you put it like that . . ."

"You're gonna get yourself killed, Smoak."

"Stop with the 'Smoak', it isn't cute. And I don't see any other way out of this."

"Anything is better than this!"

"Jay," she said exasperatedly, facing him, "will you help or not?"

"Yes," Jason groaned, mentally kicking himself. He was supposed to be better than this – he should be able to find a way out, to save her. But he was drawing blanks. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

"For the record," Luca spoke up, "I don't like it either."

"Yeah, well – tough," Lena pouted, "I don't care if you like it, I care if you do it right."

"It will take planning. But it's not impossible," Jason allowed, a small, fragile frown on his face. He didn't like the idea of any of this, and if it was his choice, he'd take a handgun and a plane straight to Ra's himself. But he knew why Lena was doing this – you protect your family, no matter what the cost. He turned to her strictly, "I agree, but only if you promise to not die."

"I can't promise that, Jay," she replied. "You know I can't. But I'll try."

"Okay. I gotta go punch something."

"Want company?"

He shrugged, "if you like. There are some scumbag weapons dealers just waiting to get their asses kicked."

Lena nodded and made a face of agreement, grabbing her gear stored under her friend's bed and heading for the door with Red Hood. At it, she stopped and spared Luca a glance, finding him looking a lot lonely and scared the moment her back was turned. Crossing the room, she hugged him fiercely before running out again, needing to clear her head.

Yeah. Punching people sounded great right now.

* * *

Felicity rolled her eyes, swinging around in her chair and grabbing her bag. Tossing in her wallet and keys, as well as the flash drive she had been backing up all of their data on, she zipped it up and turned to Oliver, who was slumped against her desk, pouting at her. As he opened his mouth to argue, she held a finger to his lips.

"No," she said, eyes apologetic but firm, "I'm going out for a few hours with Babs and Diana, no matter what 'bad feeling' you have."

He whined through her shushing, "but-"

"Oliver, I love you, but I have to have a life too. I need to go out sometime. I'll be fine, I promise – even if we run into any trouble, I think I'm in good hands," she laughed. Moving forward, she removed her finger and replaced it with her lips, kissing him softly before skipping towards the Zeta Tubes. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Don't be late. And please, be careful."

"Got it."

Felicity vanished, and Oliver deflated visibly. Rolling his head back on his shoulders, he groaned aloud, something about Hal's warning still bugging him. Something was off; he'd forgotten something important, he was sure of it. He just didn't know what.

Although he really didn't want to let Felicity out of his sight, he understood perfectly why she was going out. They all needed a break at least once a week, with the things they see and the things they bottle up. She worked hard; more so now than ever – he was so proud of her. The entire League respected his fiancée, more than him for the most part, not that he minded. It gave Oliver peace of mind that if anything ever happened to him, they would look after her.

But he still couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was a ghost in the room.

* * *

Things went badly from the moment they started, if Lena and Jason told the story honestly – which they didn't at later times – but the truth was they just weren't prepared. They attacked the van brining in these new high-tech weapons into the city; the weapons shooting back at them blasted high intensity electricity beams instead of bullets. It was dangerous.

The two vigilante's expected to break up the drop off while the weapons were still hidden. What they didn't anticipate was the men moving them to be carrying the weapons instead of just shipping them.

"Crap!" Lena yelled, ducking from the onslaught of blueish beams emitted from the weapons passing over her head as she hid on the opposite side of the truck with Jason, rolling straight underneath and scrambling away before anyone could get a lock on her location. "How do we fight them with arrows and guns? They have more firepower, we don't stand a chance."

"We need to level the playing field, then," Jason smirked, as they edged their way around the truck, always staying out of the guard's line of sight. He turned to her and grinned, pulling a small device from his pocket, a rectangle shape with a few buttons which looked remarkably like a TV remote.

"I don't think those guns can just be turned off."

"This isn't a remote."

"Then what is it?" Lena asked, but Jason didn't answer.

Instead, he slammed a button and the pulse emitted was visible in the air, like a percussion wave as it hit the unwitting guards. As it hit them, their high-tech weapons frazzled out and became useless, their circuits fried. He cackled and attacked, taking the men down with ease now they were relieved of their fancy weapons – all he needed was his fists and his partner.

_Lena?_ Jason thought, stopping mid-fight. It had taken him a couple of minutes to notice, but there was no laugh accompanying his; no back against his own. So where was she?

Dealing with the final few guys quickly, Jason ran back around the truck and froze. Lena was where he had saw her last, but had changed drastically in just a few minutes. She was slumped against the van, not even able to stand; her face was sickly pale and sweaty, the change in her pallor extreme in such a short time. The girl's face was scrunched up in a grimace of pain as she clutched at her chest, moaning feebly.

"Lena!" Jason yelled, running to her side immediately. She flinched away, but when she saw it was a friend she grabbed onto him desperately.

"What was that thing?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper and shaking with pain.

"An electromagnetic pulse. I took out the source of their power."

"Jason, you prick!" she said a little louder, like she was trying to shout but couldn't find the breath or energy to. "You EMP'd my fucking pacemaker."

"Your _what_?" he exclaimed, noticing how she was losing consciousness, eyes getting hazy. She was struggling to breathe but still managed to shoot him a glare to rival Batman. "Why do you have a pacemaker? You should have told me!"

"I didn't know you'd be idiotic enough to use an EMP in a public area," she snapped back, but it was clear she wouldn't be awake much longer. "Listen, you gotta . . . you gotta call _him_, Jay. I need help here. I – I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay," his voice took a gentler turn as she sagged against him a little, fading fast. He cupped her cheek with his hand, trying to help her stand. "I'll call him. I don't care if he hates me – he won't let you die." When she didn't respond, he looked down to find her trying not to scream in pain. Cursing, he picked her up damsel-style and carried her to his bike, sitting her on it and immediately tuning in to one of the radio frequencies he knew Bruce still used. "Hello? It's Red Hood, I know you're there."

"Hood," Bruce's voice replied after a good minute. "Why are you on this frequency?"

"I . . . I need your help, B. I'm with Le- Saber. I accidentally hurt her, she needs medical attention. Can I bring her to you? She's going to die if no one helps her soon, I don't know what to do and-"

"You have to calm down, Hood," Batman replied. Even over the radio, he could hear the erratic edge to his former ward's voice, the cold desperation lingering – Jason was scared. Honestly, he was surprised. Of everyone, he didn't expect Jason to be contacting him, or for him to care about anyone . . . come to think of it, how the hell did Jason and Lena meet? Blinking, Bruce added, "Bring her to the cave. I'll call Leslie – what's her condition?"

"Barely conscious," Jason confirmed, relief flooding his voice that Bruce was helping him. He carefully sat her on the bike in front of him, grabbing the handlebars around her to hold her steady as they flew off. It would only take them ten minutes to get to the cave, thankfully. He sighed wearily, "Oh God, B, this was _my_ fault. I did this."

"You fought her?"

"No! She was helping me and I let off a short-range EMP."

"You did _what_?"

"It was out of range of everyone but the people we were fighting, they had electronic-beam weapons!" the Red Hood argued, hearing the disapproval in his mentor's voice. Damn Batman and his self-righteousness. "I didn't think it could hurt anyone . . . then she went down. She said she had a pacemaker so I'm guessing I fried it. P-please don't let her die, Batman."

"We won't," Bruce swore, "The League would kill me. And you."

* * *

Felicity was laughing. She was only drinking soda and juice that night because she had a busy day in the morning, but it was fun to just sit in a bar with her friends and talk. Sara was on a mission, but Diana and Barbara had been keen for a night off, and the cheesy music coming from a club they'd passed had lured them in.

It was eighties night. Bad music; people dressed like their parents; disco – they loved it.

"Hey, one sec, I should get this," she shouted to the others, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket and heading for the nearest exit. The music was so loud she could barely hear herself above the tumult, let alone whoever was on the end of the line. Pushing a fire door open, she ended up on a staircase just outside the club and swiped her screen, seeing Batman was the caller I.D. "Helloooo?"

"You need to get to the Batcave quickly," Bruce said on the other end, tone not as gruff as usual. He sounded worried, almost, definitely less cold than he usually did as his alter-ego. "I wouldn't usually allow you direct access, but I've already programmed the Zeta to let you teleport straight here. Hurry."

"Wait, wait, wait," Felicity garbled out, talking with her hands as her mind went into overdrive, "what's going on?"

"It's best not to tell you over the phone. Just come."

"Is it Oliver? Is he hurt?" Felicity could feel her heart in her mouth as she asked that, hands shaking. In her head, she saw him hurt; dying after he'd warned her about a bad feeling . . . she couldn't lose him. Not now.

"Oliver's fine," Batman replied. Felicity felt relief rush through her body, leaving her feeling light-headed and dizzy. The next words made her blood run cold. "It's your sister."

* * *

By the time Oliver got to the Batcave, Felicity had already been there for an hour. He spent only a second looking around the space in wonder, taking in the fact that it was a literal cave, the wall of computers and the trophy cabinets filled with old batgear before moving straight to her side. Felicity was standing away from the other figures in the room, arms hugging herself.

"Felicity," he said, walking over to her. A moment later arms were flung around his neck as she collapsed into him, shaking but not crying. "Hey, hey, it's alright. It's going to be just fine."

"They – they said she had some kind of heart attack," Felicity told him, stepping back, the worry etched onto her face clear. Her brows were knit together and there were splotches under her eyes like she had been crying before he arrived.

Oliver looked over, brushing one thumb over her shoulder as he looked around for Batman, spotting Bruce a little bit further into the cave, talking to a young man with dark hair he didn't recognise – that must be Red Hood minus the hood, then. The Bat hadn't had time to explain much over the phone, but he had mentioned that Red Hood was involved.

Face growing stormy, Oliver squeezed Felicity's shoulder, taking off his jacket to drape over her shoulders, aware she must be cold in just her dress in the chilly cave. He looked onto her eyes, tugging it around her. "I'm just going to talk to Bats, okay? I'll be right back," he said.

When he got to the Bats, noticing even Tim, Dick and Stephanie had appeared from somewhere and were sitting around looking worried, he instantly grabbed Red Hood by the collars of his leather jacket and threw the younger man against the wall, pinning him there.

"What did you do?!"

"I . . ." the Hood looked genuinely guilty, which Oliver hadn't expected. From what little Batman had revealed to the League, Red Hood was meant to be a merciless pain in the ass. Now he looked like a kid. "I'm sorry. I never meant to-"

"Arrow, let him go," Batman ordered briskly. "Jason – take a walk. I need to talk to Oliver."

Oliver dropped the younger man, who left dejectedly, heading for the stairs. A moment later, Dick followed him. With a frown, the Arrow turned to Batman. "Well?"

"This was an accident, not an attack."

"Like hell it was!"

"Oliver, calm yourself," Batman warned, voice returning to its usual bluntness. He had let a lot of things slide that night, especially with seeing Jason again, but he had to draw the line somewhere. "Jason let off an EMP to short-out a new brand of electric weapons about to be sold to the gangs of Gotham; it would have been catastrophic. However, he was unaware Lena had a pacemaker, and as a result she was damaged by the wave, too. I honestly believe he meant no harm . . . apparently they were friends. Which we will be having words about when Lena wakes up."

The man in front of him seemed to calm, breathing deeply, "but she _will_ wake up, right?"

"Doctor Leslie gave me an update about fifteen minutes ago," Batman said. "Lena's stable for now, although Leslie wants to replace the device which was regulating her hartbeat as soon as possible, although I've asked her to hold off for a few days."

"Why?"

"If she wants to keep being a hero, she can't have a pacemaker," Bruce shrugged, "It would limit her to practically nothing and she'd hate it. I'm hoping J'onn or one of the Lanterns know something else which could work. Did you know she . . . ?"

"Had one in the first place?" Oliver finished. "No. Lena failed to mention that."

"We should start making a list of everything she keeps from us, it's really adding up."

Oliver sighed deeply, rubbing his eyelids. "I don't know what to do anymore. She's the best trained, the hardest working, the most dedicated of us all – but most of the time, she won't let us help her. It's not that I don't trust her, I don't care _why_ she kept it, but it's information we need to keep her safe."

"You'll figure it out."

"Families are hard, huh? How much did you talk to Hood?"

"More than I have in months," Bruce revealed, tone creeping into his voice. "Red Hood had backed off, stopped killing – almost; stopped picking fights with me. I didn't know what had happened, but he'd changed . . . I guess I know what changed his mind now."

"Lena."

"Who else?"

* * *

"Are you alright?"

Felicity looked up at the voice, spotting Stephanie standing a few feet away, looking unsure whether to come closer or not. At the weak smile Felicity attempted to send to her, the girl took a few more steps forward, pushing a chair on wheels towards the other woman.

"Here, we might be in for a long wait."

"Thanks," Felicity said, sitting down numbly. She seemed to spend every second now worrying about someone, and she was very, very tired. After a moment or two, an arm was put around her, as the younger blonde girl perched on the arm of the chair.

"I hope you don't mind me saying it, but it's gonna be okay. I know it is," Steph smiled sadly, trying to comfort the older woman. Felicity Smoak was a constant at the Birds of Prey watchtower, helping out Babs almost every day, but Steph had never seen her look so distraught. Usually, Felicity was one of the few spots of sunshine in Gotham. "Your sister . . . she's not like the rest of us. Too damn stubborn to die, that one – she'll be up and fighting in a week, two tops. She'll live to annoy you yet."

Felicity laughed at that, but it was a pathetic, broken sound. "I . . . I'm supposed to look out for her, you know? She's my little sister."

"You do."

"Not well enough, apparently."

"That's rubbish! From what I've seen, you do pretty well," Steph told her earnestly. "The thing is, I don't have much to go on. My dad was a second-rate super villain who tried to kill me, and all of us Bats are so wound up and wrecked that we can't even hope to function normally – just look at Jason. But then I see you guys, and I see a family; a real one. One you've let all of us step into, never once making us feel like intruders or fakes – you just accepted us. That forgiveness – that's what makes you guys special; that willingness to find happiness and share it. It amazes me. So . . . you look out for each other, who could ask for anything more? And that's all that should matter."

Felicity blinked, letting the words sink in. They struck something in her that resonated throughout her entire body, and she knew there was truth in the words. Maybe they were screwed up in some ways – but they were getting by better than most.

"Thank you," she said quietly, leaning into the half-hug she had been pulled into. "I just hope we're all okay after this."

* * *

When Lena woke up, the first thing she noticed wasn't the agony. It was there, a crippling white hot pain in her chest and mask over her face, pushing air into her lungs as a machine beeped nearby, telling her she was alive. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't her first comment.

That was saved for something much more important.

"Is that a giant dinosaur?"

She heard a few laughs before her sister's face floated into her view, the room becoming clearer with every minute of consciousness. Lena blinked a few times, taking in the high cave walls and various knick-knacks around the room. She could have commented on the dinosaur or massive penny, either would have done really.

"How are you feeling?" Felicity asked, squeezing her hand. "Doctor Leslie said you're stable, by the way, but it will hurt. You're off-duty for two months."

"_Two_ months?"

"Yes," Felicity said, deadly scary. She looked down at her sister, more protective than angry, seeing Lena's little pout of disagreement already beginning to form. "And you are going to listen and do exactly what the doctor says because you could have _died_ and don't ever do that to me again!"

"Okay," Lena coughed, seeing the tears forming in her sister's eyes. "O-okay, I'll take a break. I don't think I could sit up, let alone walk right now. Hurts like a bitch."

"A heart attack will do that to you," Oliver pointed out with a little smile.

"It's not my fault; Jay was the idiot with the EMP."

"Which I have apologised for, like, a thousand times now," Jason laughed from his space. He was standing near the door, close enough to watch over his friend but also in the perfect position to flee if things went south with the other Bats. He smiled to see her awake, "let it go already. That was so last night."

"You mother-"

"It's no one's fault, let's leave it at that, children," Felicity almost laughed, cutting her sister off. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Always, Fee."

Lena tried not to choke up as she said that, knowing it wasn't true. Very soon, she might not be okay, or alive, or anything if Ra's had his way. There was a storm coming. And now she was injured for it – with the assassins watching her recently, they would know as soon as she went home she was vulnerable to attack; which meant Ra's was coming, and soon. Until then, they had a plan to kick into action – just as soon as she could get out of bed.

* * *

**A/N: there's only a few chapters left, now! And there's a big hint at what will happen in the final chapter in this one, I wonder if anyone will guess it. Please review! **


	21. When the past comes knocking

**Disclaimer: a lot of info-dumping backstory in this chapter, sorry. but Lena's past is sorted out finally, and it sets up the last two chapters after this! might be worth re-reading the chapter 'dark and full of terrors' before this, in case you forgot a few things.**

* * *

**'When the past comes knocking'**

Checking the line was completely private and undetectable, Lena lay back in bed and opened the three-way call. It had been a month since her injury, and she was still stuck in the house. Oliver's house was massive, granted, but when it was all she had seen for an entire month . . . it felt like a prison.

The lined clicked.

"Jay? Luca? Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, electro," Jason replied, edge to his voice. He'd started making jokes about the EMP a whole five minutes after she had woken up, and still hadn't let it go.

Luca's reply was earnest as ever, "I'm here."

"Did you both get the packages I sent you?" Lena asked, receiving two grunts of confirmation a moment later. "Good. You need to keep them on you at all times from now on – getting injured might not have been a part of our plan, but it gives us an opportunity – we know they're coming now. They won't be able to resist coming to kick me while I'm down."

"Jeez," Luca complained, "stop saying it so happily. Assassins are coming to kill you, it hasn't started raining kittens."

"Kittens?" Jason sniggered.

"I panicked."

"Guys," Lena cut in, "I am taking this seriously, okay? I'm just saying that we thought their attack might be unpredictable, it could have been any time in the next few months – but they're coming_ now_. I can feel it. I've spotted a few things in the past few days."

"They're already there?"

"Just scouts, I think. They won't make a move until Ra's arrives."

Jason frowned thoughtfully, "I've managed to get everything set up our end. I'm guessing these things-"

"When they attack, I set off a signal and you guys go," Lena nodded, "just do what we planned, don't hesitate. Get it done and get back here."

"And hope you're still alive by the time things are in place," Luca added dryly, but she could hear the underlying sadness in his voice. He didn't want to leave her to face Ra's alone, but she had asked him to do this other mission with Jason – he couldn't refuse. The plan made sense. He just didn't like feeling so helpless.

"I'll be fine, Luca. We've talked about this," Lena replied quietly. She hated that she'd put the sadness in his voice. "This will be the last you hear from me, it's too dangerous to contact you – good luck, guys."

"You too."

"Try not to die, Smoak," Jason agreed. "It's a real bitch."

* * *

**Three years before**

_"I am known as the Sensei – and I have a proposition for you."_

Lena jerked awake.

The last thing she remembered was walking into the warehouse and seeing the strange figure waiting for her, knowing immediately this was a bad decision. She should have run. She should have got her mom and ran away as fast as she could . . . but if she didn't know who she was running from, what good would that have been? No, she had made the only choice she could.

Her mom was safe. Herself, on the other hand . . .

The room was large, but so full of people it felt cramped and humid almost from the heat of the people around her. Looking about, she noticed she had been propped up against a stone wall, tucking her knees protectively into herself and trying to remember how she got there. Although she closed her eyes, scrunching up her nose and really trying to think . . . she had nothing. Just the words and one hell of a headache.

Apparently the douche's 'proposition' was non-negotiable. She must have been taken here – wherever that was. The room didn't really give an indication to where she was. Maybe the people could: Lena looked around, noticing that everyone in the room had to be under twenty, but the youngest could have only been fifteen or sixteen. Apart from age, there was no defining factor – the kids were different races, taking to each other in different languages, all as confused as she was.

Then the man came in. The 'Sensei' or whatever he'd called himself.

Lena got to her feet as he began to speak, although most of the kids shrank in his presence, only a few more defiant faces remaining on their feet. A procession of guards accompanied the Sensei, all black-clad and silent, standing sentry around the room, swords visible on their hips. No one could make the mistake that they were safe there. Feeling the anger bubble up, she fixed the speaking man with a glare.

"You," he said, addressing them all, "are here because you are expendable, but skilled. You are criminals and thugs. You are nothing. But you will be more than people when I am done with you. For I am the Sensei – and you are my army."

"Like hell we are!" one boy yelled in faltering English, drawing all of their attention. Lena looked over at him, a shirtless brown-skinned boy with messy dark hair and a look of utter fury on his face. He was about her age, maybe a little older, and had a vaguely rough look about him, like he was no stranger to a fight. "Why would be work for you? You can't just kidnap people!"

A few murmurs spoke up in agreement, which the Sensei noticed before nodding to his guards. They swarmed the boy, pinning his arms and dragging him to the front of the room before dropping him at their leader's feet.

"Who are you, boy?"

"Luca."

"Well, Luca, let me make one thing clear," the Sensei said in a high, cold voice. "You are below me. I am giving you a chance to be something greater; not the scum you all once were, but it is not up for argument. You will obey me, you will not try to escape, you will do exactly as I say – or there will be consequences."

He raised his fist to hit the boy, but Lena found her feet moving. She left her anonymity of the corner she was hid in, running until she stood in front of the boy, the Sensei raising an eyebrow at her appearance. Lena knew she couldn't watch someone being beaten for speaking the truth.

"Hey!" she yelled, hearing the boy shuffle back a little behind her and taking a step back herself, giving her a little space to move. Lena spat in the Sensei's face then, which was probably a bad decision – she really was filling her quota of them today. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you don't own us, and I for one will _never_ work for you. I'm not a soldier. And you don't seem to be a leader – you call _us_ scum, but _you're_ the one kidnapping kids! Whatever crazy bullshit you've got going on here, I won't have a part of it."

The Sensei punched her in the face then. She staggered back, but it wasn't until the fourth blow that her knees caved and she ended up on the stone. "The Coast thief – Prudence, was it?" he mused, standing over her. "You have fury. That's good. I'll use it later – and yes, no matter what you think now, you will be my soldier by the end of this. We have ways of persuading you."

Lena grinned, but not for the reason he thought. Apparently Kevin's disguise was working – the Sensei had no idea who she really was. All she needed to do was get out of here and go home, leaving him to chase 'Prudence' – who didn't exist in the first place.

That only pissed him off even more. "What are you laughing at?"

"I've met my fair share of crazies," Lena lied smoothly, "but you, my friend, are something else."

He nodded for a few of the guards to take over then, and the world blurred as the barrage of hits pummelled her into the ground. Lena was sure at least one rib was broken by the time they stopped, leaving her lying on her back on the floor, coughing up blood.

Above her, the Sensei smiled cruelly. "Let her be an example – disobedience will not be tolerated. Training starts tomorrow."

He swept from the room then, followed by his guards, and the heavy door was locked behind them. Having checked before, Lena knew there was no other way out – no doors or windows – and trying to escape with no knowledge at all about what waited behind the door would be suicide. She would have to bide her time, wait a few days, maybe weeks before she made her move. Feeling the hopelessness welling up inside her, she coughed and rolled over to a sitting position, wincing at the pain.

The beating had been the first of many, although she didn't know it at the time.

When she sat, Lena noticed the boy she had stepped up to protect watching her suspiciously from a few feet away. He frowned at her, "why did you do that?"

"It's like my mom always said," Lena replied, shrugging, "'never condemn a stranger, they could turn out a friend.'"

"We're not friends!" he scowled, obviously not pleased with her answer. He got up to walk to the back of the room, throwing over his shoulder, "I don't owe you anything."

Lena just collapsed back to the rocks, shaking from her beating and the crushing sense of being truly alone for the first time. It took her only minutes to pass out.

* * *

The 'training' was almost as painful as the beating had been. Every day, they were roused and dragged into different rooms depending on how well they did in the lessons: fist fighting, sword work and mental training, which was by far the worst. Hitting posts and swinging a sword Lena could handle, but for the mental aspect, they were beaten into submission. Blows were landed in between comments of their worthlessness and it became harder to hold on to hope.

Most kids gave in after the first month, becoming the soldiers the Sensei wanted. Those who disobeyed suffered until they broke, too. There were few left still resisting.

Two months in, Lena had already been there a lot longer than she really wanted to be. Her mom still needed her, although she was sure Kevin would keep his word and look after her. Lena just needed to get out – and go home.

That was the problem. She had tried to escape four times, and the scars would never fade from the punishment afterward.

The first thing she had tried to work out was the layout of the building they were in, but only knew how to get to the 'training' rooms and back to that same room they all slept in. The corridors other than those were a mystery: she had no idea how to leave the aged, stone complex as a whole, let alone how to get far enough away to hide and get a ride back to Coast City. One of two things she'd worked out was that they were underground; the walls were cave-like and too cold to be anything else.

The second was that she wasn't in America anymore. The guards spoke to one another in a language she didn't understand when she had first arrived, but was starting to get a hold of now. From the way they said it or why, she was able to work out the basics quickly – 'food' 'sleep' 'fight' – and had worked her way outwards from there. Lena had learnt fast, and now she could speak the basics, mostly to taunt the guards.

The Sensei's ninja minions hardly spoke, but patrolled the corridors frequently, and could easily catch them if they ran off on the way to training. She'd learnt that the hard way. It was like they weren't human sometimes – they moved to quickly and invisibly, followed orders coldly . . . she wondered if that's what the Sensei wanted them to become.

Lena wouldn't become that. She promised that to herself every night before she fell into an uneasy sleep.

It was on that second month that she was noticed. Having decided to fake complacency although she knew her escape attempts had been noted, Lena had been throwing herself into the training physically, feeling her muscles burn daily as they grew. She was quicker than she had been when she arrived, more agile and nimble in her fighting style - those ninja-like moves were something, all right.

Not to mention the swords. It was good to have a weapon, and it was the night after she had stolen one and tried to escape, taking out at least twelve guards before she was outnumbered that the Sensei came to watch her train, standing silently in the corner while she fought.

Feeling his eyes on her, she cringed inwardly, already becoming more uncomfortable in her stance. It was something about this gaze . . . it was too cruel, too violent. She could put on a glare to scare a man twice her size, but even she was chilled under his gaze. Not enough to shut her mouth, though.

"Can I help you, asshole?"

"Do not address me that way," the Sensei snapped back, going on more coolly, "I hear you are showing promise in your training."

"Is that so, _sir_ asshole?" Lena knew she was pushing it now, but couldn't resist. She was angry. Focusing on the warrior in front of her, sword extended in her hands as they parried, Lena was focused on the fight at hand, so fell quickly when she was sucker punched from behind. Even lying dazed on the floor, she glared up at the Sensei, "now that ain't fighting fair. It's bad form."

"I do not care about fighting fair. I want to fight dirty – you're going to be an army of assassins, not children. Bad form is the least of your concerns."

"A-assassins? Who _are_ you?"

"I was thrown out of the League of Shadows. They tried to kill me and failed; you will win it back for me. I will be their new leader – you're my elite team. _Better _than the old ones. Stronger, faster, more _powerful_ . . . but for now, all you need to do is learn to fight," the Sensei dragged out his little speech bitterly, not even looking at her, but his gaze drifted back to her as he finished, "I'd have you killed if you weren't the best fighter here, like the others who displeased me."

Lena had her suspicions for weeks, noticing the sleeping room growing emptier every night, but gasped at hearing them confirmed. They were being whittled down, killing the weak and leaving . . . an army. She blinked hard, trying not to think of the people who were dead, just kids . . .

"I'm glad," she spat out, getting to her feet in fury. The entire training room was silent, watching her. "If I'm the best, it will make it easier when you're training pays off to drive my sword through your skull, you bastard!"

Lena woke up a few hours later, back in the sleeping room and more pain than she'd ever felt.

"Argh," she moaned, trying to move, to a hand gripped her shoulder and pushed her back down. Lena stiffened, but a moment later sighed in relief at the cold cloth pressed to a burning ache of pain on her side. Hearing a small laugh at her reaction, she risked opening her eyes, wincing as she saw the slice in her hip, still bleeding as someone used a piece of cloth to try and stop the bleeding. Looking up, the face that met her surprised her. "_You_."

"Me?" The boy from the first day, Luca, laughed again.

"Yeah, you. I remember . . . why are you helping me? I thought we weren't friends."

"Because someone needs to stand up to him, and what you did was brave. People need that; the kids here, they're starting to give in. That can't happen. If they become complacent, he has an army."

Lena sighed unhappily, "you've noticed too."

"It's hard not too. Here, hold that," Luca pressed her own hand against the wound on her side, but gently. He sat back against the nearest wall and began tearing the fabric of the pants he was wearing to create more strips of cloth, quickly being left with three quarter length trousers.

Noticing this, Lena realised where he was getting the bandages from and frowned, "You don't have to-"

"It's nothing, shush," he commanded back, nodding at her sternly, "I know I was being gentle but you're going to have to hold that tighter unless you want to bleed out."

She smiled and complied, only groaning a little bit at the pressure. Looking back up curiously, she pursed her lips carefully, studying the boy next to her. "So you're saving my life for morale?"

"Partly."

"What's the other part?"

Luca stopped tearing his clothes, sitting straight and gazing back at her. He lowered his voice, casting a glance around the emptier room before speaking. "You're still trying to get out of here, and I don't care why, I won't ask because I know the look I see on your face – you're protecting someone. I want out, too." He shrugged, "I'm thinking that the two of us stand a better chance if we work together than we would alone."

"You want to work together?"

"We could do it," he insisted.

"Didn't say we couldn't," Lena replied easily, "I'm getting out of here one way or another, and a little help wouldn't go amiss. Let's do it – but we have to be smart about it."

"Right," Luca teased, "because getting yourself beaten for no reason today was completely strategic."

She blushed, "okay, that was just me not being able to keep my mouth shut. We'll work on that, brother."

"We're still not friends," Luca replied, edge to his voice now. "There's no use getting attached when we could die any day. It's stupid. At best we're . . . allies."

He extended a hand, the deal hanging between them. A moment later, Lena shook it.

* * *

It was dark, night holding the underground room completely, but Lena knew exactly where Luca was lying next to her. It was a habit she had picked up in the month since they'd sealed their deal and decided to fight together, as well as the fact she could see well in the dark from her multiple escape attempts. It had been a month since her last escape try, her last beating, her first ally.

They were playing it clever now. Getting noticed less and planning at night – Luca was teaching her spanish and they both tried to pick up what Serbian they could from the guards. It had taken a serbian kid telling them what language it was to discover that . . . Lena had cried when the kid disappeared a week later.

"_Are you awake_?" she whispered in the code they'd worked out, a mixture of the two languages and english in an order they had agreed on. It meant there was no way they could be overheard and if they were, the guards wouldn't be able to decipher what was said.

"_You know I am_."

"_I was just checking. I counted the guards rotation today, we have a seven minute gap to escape after 3am_."

"_How can you tell_?"

"_I listened very carefully. You can hear them as they pass_."

"_Oh_."

"_Luca_?"

"_Yeah_?"

"_What do you miss the most about home? Because I was thinking, and I would actually kill for a damn cheeseburger right now_."

Luca laughed silently, his body shaking, touching her slightly at the shoulders. "_The Sensei tries for three months to crack you, and all it would take is a cheeseburger. Brilliant_."

"_I was exaggerating, I wouldn't actually kill. Maim maybe, definitely punch. You never answered my question, by the way_."

"_I was thinking about it_."

"_There's a first time for everything, I suppose_."

"_Shut up, Prudence_."

"_Lena_," she replied, this time in spanish. "_I . . . I wasn't sure about telling you before, but no one's listening now so – my real name is Lena. I trust you'll keep that to yourself_."

"_I will_," he swore, feeling the weight of what he'd been entrusted with. In the darkness, Luca moved to put an arm around her shoulders, feeling her roll into him so they could rest comfortably together. "_Thank you for telling me, Lena_."

"_You're welcome. Will I be trusted in turn_?"

He smiled wryly, "_I miss being free, mostly. I'm twenty and I was in juvie for setting a man in my villages house on fire. He had attacked my sister. But I was about to get out when the Sensei got me. I had plans, I was going to get away and travel. See the world, you know? I always wanted to go to America, what's it like_?"

"_Not as great as you'd think_," she replied, "_some places are beautiful, though. There's a beach where I grew up in Coast City, a bay – it's the most peaceful place. When the sun rises over this white sand beach, you'd think you were in heaven._"

"_That sounds amazing_."

"_Yeah? I'll take you someday_," she promised, "_You know, I like the idea of travelling, too. The amount of people here from across the globe has taught me that the world's a big place. I'd never left my hometown before this._"

"_Me neither. Where's the first place you'd go, if you could_?"

"_Home. I'd go home first, because . . . I miss it_," Lena wiped away a few tears which slipped down her face solemnly, trying not to really let herself cry. It wouldn't do any good. "_But the second place I'd go is Rio, you know that big jesus statue thingy? I always wanted to see that_."

"_Do you believe in God, then_?"

"_It's not so much the religious part of it. That statue – it's huge. It's a monument that people made . . . that's pretty damn awesome. It's something good people did, something which gives a lot of people hope – I'd like to see that, after this_."

"_I like that_," Luca smiled. "_If we get split up escaping, we should meet there three days afterwards if we're safe. That way we can throw the trail, and we can see the awesomeness of human creation together._"

Lena nodded, "_deal. You know it's useless pretending we're not friends now, right? We are_."

"_Yeah, I know_," he agreed, holding her tighter. "_We should get some sleep. I doubt the Sensei will like us falling asleep in training tomorrow_."

"_To hell with the Sensei_."

"_Amen, sister_."

* * *

Things changed at the start of the fourth month. It started everyone who was left, maybe thirty-thirty five kids, were woken together and moved, heavily guarded, to a new room. That was off, for a start; Lena and Luca stuck close together on the longer walk, both memorising the way with their hands brushing together occasionally for comfort.

When they arrived, the Sensei was waiting for them in a literal cave, the walls slimy and the ceiling humungously high above their heads. Way ahead, a green pool waited ominously, and Lena shuddered at the sight of it. Something about it was evil. Guts clenching, she turned her attention to the other feature of the room – a human sized table, machinery and wires all around it and large leather straps to hold a person down in it finishing the terrifying décor.

"Well done," the Sensei's voice boomed through the room, "you survived Phase One. This means you're fighters – now you get to face the next trial."

Lena whispered to Luca, "yay."

"This machine will prove whether you are weak or strong. Few survive the process, but if they do . . ." The Sensei trailed off, looking around, "you'll be more powerful than you could possibly imagine, the perfect killing machines." He glanced around until he spotted her, fixing Lena was a cruel look, "I think you'll do nicely to go first, little hero. See how much fight is left in you then."

Lena was dragged forwards, fighting tooth and nail. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she did not want to get into that machine. Kicking out, she managed to hold off a good proportion of the guards until a blow to the head stunned her, leaving her compromised and dizzy as she was hauled, feet resting on a ledge while the heavy straps held her standing but unable to move.

A little blood trickled down her face, the Sensei approaching to wipe it away, although she winced back at his touch, unable to move out of his grasp.

He laughed sadistically, "I really hope you survive. You're too much fun."

She didn't even have the time to think up a comeback before the first needle was inserted, causing her to cry out in agony. One of the guards pushed it into her hip, another one was put into her left leg, a few smaller ones being poked into her arms before the pain stopped. She stood still now despite herself, the tubes leading off from the needles begging to slowly fill – some with the green liquid, others with a different formula.

The whole room watched her with fascination, Lena having to shake her head unnoticeably at Luca to calm him, as the machine behind her hummed to life. Finally, the liquid reached her veins.

And Lena screamed.

It was agony. She felt like she was on fire, the liquid burning through her as the cries were ripped from her throat, all thoughts but the pain driven from her head. She couldn't think, couldn't even make sense of the world in front of her through the blurry tears falling down her face until a face became clear, running towards her.

Luca. She could remember her friends name as he ran towards her, breaking free of the guards and charging the machine, hands outstretched to her as her fingertips moved weakly out to him. The minute their hands talked, an charged passed between them, a power neither of them could understand. Lena was unconscious in a moment, the last thing she saw was Luca flying backwards through the air and a wave of green light . . .

* * *

Five months in, and they were almost as used to the 'treatments' as the fighting. They still trained in combat, but then for the second part of the day they were strapped to the machine until they either passed out or the Sensei saw some sort of improvement. Well, what was left of them, anyway . . .

The treatments killed some of the kids outright. Lena endured them, as did Luca, but their numbers dwindled from thirty to ten in a month. That was a problem; the other people left were hard, becoming cruel under the Sensei's command, the warriors he wanted. Lena and Luca were alone in resisting, but they had been biding their time, waiting for the right moment – the Sensei thought he had them in the palm of his hand.

Little did he know they didn't just want to escape anymore, they wanted to bring him down with them.

After the first week, the treatments had begun to work. The serum mixed with the green water, which the Sensei called a 'Lazarus Pit' making them stronger physically. When they were hurt, they healed faster. And then there were the powers.

Of the other eight people, there was: super-strength, telekinesis, electricity controlling, super-hearing and body metamorphosis. Three had yet to display any set power, but the Sensei promised it would manifest eventually, psychotic in his belief in his serum. Lena fell into the category also, having no powers – yet. If she was going to endure the agony of the serum, she hoped she at least got a useful ability out of it; something they could use to get out of there.

"Show me again?" she asked Luca in the sleeping room. They were sitting against the wall shoulder-to-shoulder, talking quietly in their own language. He shifted a little, holding his hand out in front of him. Closing his fist for a moment, he turned it over before opening his palm, a small, lively flame appearing in his hand. Lena considered it carefully, "this will help us. Does it hurt?"

He shook his head. "I can't feel it. But this . . . this is wrong. If we get out of here, I'm never using these powers again. They're evil."

"Shhh, Hermano, it's okay," she soothed, closing his hand to extinguish the fire. "When we get away, I agree. We put this behind us."

"Still no sign of a power in you?"

"None. Still not convinced that's a bad thing, either."

"It means more treatments," Luca pointed out. He and the other people who had already gained powers no longer had to undergo the painful treatments, being trained harder and longer instead. Taking her hand, he squeezed it, knowing just how much pain she was in daily. "Our plans coming together, L. It won't be long until we're out of here."

"We're gonna see the world?"

"Yeah, we are. Just hold on a little bit longer."

* * *

_**To be continued tomorrow . . .**_


	22. League of Shadows

**Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow. This and the last chapter were originally one, but I split in in half.**

* * *

**'League of Shadows'**

Six months in, Lena finally pissed off the Sensei to his limit, taking it too far. She was in the treatment room and he was frustrated that it didn't seem to be working on her, especially since she was still the best fighter by far. He was wound up, having heard Ra's was coming for him again, and she was being the same as ever, pushing all of the right buttons.

When he stabbed her, he wasn't thinking. She was talking too loudly, until she stopped. He pushed the blade further into her lower back, enjoying the whimper which tore from her throat when he ripped out the knife, shoving her to the floor. The Sensei liked to think of himself as a clever man; but he was just angry right then. And a person as sadistic as him being angry was never a good thing.

Watching, he observed as the girl struggled to move, knowing in her heart that the wound was a fatal one. She tried in vain to stop the bleeding, trying to crawl away from him, but all too soon she was unconscious, the floor crimson. He took sick satisfaction in the fact that she probably believed she was dying when her eyes closed.

"Throw her in the pit," he commanded, "we'll see who she is when she emerges."

When Lena was put into the Lazarus Pit however, it finally kick-started the serum within her veins, triggering something. The green water bubbled, crackling as soon as the girl's body was thrown carelessly in – right until she burst out.

Suddenly, she was standing on the other side of the room, dripping wet and terrified. A second later, she was in the doorway. Then she was in an alcove of the cave. Then next to the Sensei, attacking him in fury. The teleportation was random, uncontrolled, but she stopped long enough to beat him to his knees before disappearing once more.

"Call in everyone – she must be stopped," The Sensei hissed, getting back to his feet.

Chaos ran loose in his base for almost two hours before the girl was caught. It took a direct hit from another of his meta-soldiers, the boy with power of electricity, to bring her down for good. That was her weakness, then. Ordering his guards to carry her back to the sleeping room and watch her, he stalked off, already thinking of ideas to force her to fight for him when she awoke.

* * *

"Breathe," Luca soothed, holding his friend closer. They should be sleeping, but Lena was crying again, breathing ragged. He didn't know what to do. Since her powers had manifested, she had changed: it was like insanity. Not knowing if it was the pit or the powers, Luca wasn't being left with many options – so he did the best he could. "It's okay, Hermana. We're still leaving."

"Scared," she whispered back. "I-I was drowning. I'm still drowning."

"You're not," he said, pulling her into his lap. Lena's back and head resting on his knees, he leant against the wall and rocked her, talking quietly, "I'm so sorry, L. I should have been there, I should have stopped him. But you're not drowning. You're healing."

"There was green . . ."

"The Pit? It healed you. There will be a scar left, but you're alive."

"Was I dead?" Lena choked out, holding him desperately, "I think I was. My mom might be, too. She's dying. She was always dying and I . . ."

Luca moved, interested. It was the closest to lucidity she had been since the Sensei's attack. It had been almost a week of her muttering in fear or crying; even the Sensei seemed to regret reducing her to this – she couldn't move, let alone fight. He had tried to work her, but failed, leaving her alone for days now. But when she spoke of her mother, which Lena did rarely to begin with, Lena was herself again. Something behind her eyes was alive again.

"Your mother?" he asked, holding her closer, "tell me about her. You need to get back to her, Lena. Remember,_ please_."

"Sh-she's sick. Huntington's. Before I left, I looked after her b-by myself. That's why I was a thief, I had to look out for the both of us," Lena was crying, but her eyes gained more and more reason, voice becoming forceful again, "she needs me! I_ have_ to get back to her."

"We will, but you need to come back. _Think_, L."

"I was dead," she repeated again, muttering coldly, "the Sensei did all of this. We need to stop him, brother. F-Felicity and my mom need me."

"Felicity?" he blinked, "who's Felicity?"

"My s-sister. I miss her so much. She told me about the stars, a long time ago. She knew their names."

"Tell me them."

In the hours of darkness that followed, Luca urged Lena on as she named countless constellations. With each memory, pieces of her mind lost to the green fog of the pit returned, parts of her coming back, too. Luca saw the state of a human she had become float away, his friend reappearing before him. By the time the sun came up, she was Lena again; and she was angry.

Lena sat up, hugging herself. With a smile, she looked at him, "T-thank you, hermano."

"Are you back?"

"I think so," she replied, "it's still . . . hazy. I think it was the Pit. You were right, it's_ evil_."

"Don't do that to me again," Luca told her, gathering her into a hug this time. He had spent the last week terrified that she would stay insane and leave him alone there. That he couldn't face. "I don't want to lose you. Not after all we've been through."

"You won't. That was_ you_, Luca, you made me better. You brought me home. But it's weird . . . I only started feeling better, like I was me again, when we touched. Wait-" she lifted her shirt, and the stab wound was gone. In it's place was a thin white scar, "I've healed!"

"That's impossible."

"All of this is impossible," Lena pointed out.

He shrugged, "fair point. But that blow should have killed you - it was still in bad shape last night. How could it have healed so quickly?"

"I don't know, but I felt better when you held me," she replied, brow furrowed, "the first time I went in the machine, you ran at me and there was this light . . . when we touched, it was like a reaction. I don't think that was supposed to happen but ever since . . . I know it's been a few months, but I've felt better whenever you were around since then. I was calmer and I slept easier when you were close."

"So we're what? Connected?"

"Who knows? But maybe . . . last night, it was only when you held me and spoke that I could hear quickly. You pulled me out of that madness, Luca. Maybe we are connected. Maybe _you_ healed me."

"Hey, I control fire - I'm not a healer," he held up his hands, "but you may have a point - no one else has healed this quickly from any injury, not even the other kids he took. I guess we'll have to wait until the next time one of us is injured to test your theory."

"Hmmmmn," Lena hummed thoughtfully, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere. If it were true; if they had somehow healed her . . . maybe she could save her mom in the same way.

* * *

They got to test her theory four days later.

Lena had been put back to training now that her powers had manifested, forced to fight while teleporting, moving around the room too quickly for any opponent to attack her; she won every fight that week. The Sensei was enthused, pushing her harder and harder, but never letting her get too far. The times she tried to escape by teleporting out, he had the electricity-boy zap her to unconsciousness wherever she stopped.

Then he came up with a more permanent solution: the collar.

The metal device hung around her neck at all times, and could be used to electrocute her at the touch of a button - the Sensei held the remote, so even if she got away, he could just shock her from afar and track the collar to drag her back. It wasn't pleasant at all, and she began to fade with every assault - Lena was pale all the time, chest aching. As if it couldn't get any worse.

But that day, it was Luca who was injured, the Sensei slashing his side in annoyance when the boy fell during practise. He had endured until the end of the day, but almost collapsed the second they were thrown into the sleeping area.

"Hey," Lena caught him, steadying him to the wall where they sat, "let me take a look at that."

Luca lifted his shirt in compliance, wincing as he saw the injury beneath - his side was grey, the cut large enough to need stitches and weeping still, only the dried blood around it stopping him from bleeding out. He made a face, "that's bad."

"It'll be alright," his friend immediately countered, instantly crossing the room. Lena sorted through their small supplies until she found the stick they had fashioned into a needle and tread from their clothes they used to stich themselves up. It was as crude and medical supplies came, but it was better than dying. She knelt down next to him, using another piece of cloth and some water to clean the wound, "It's gonna hurt, brother. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

"But still," she made another face, holding the skin together and bracing the threaded needle in her hand, "I'm the one about to butcher these stitches."

Luca tilted his head to one side, "I've given you a fair few, too. In fact, I'm sure I've patched you up twice as many times than you have me."

"But you're a better doctor."

"Only because I've had more practise. You can do this, Hermana."

"Okay," she agreed. "Here goes nothing."

An hour later, Luca was sewn up and bandaged with what little fabric they had scrounged, leaning against the wall. There was nothing to numb the pain with, so he had felt every stab of the needle as it closed him up, building in pain until he was breathless. Lena's hands had shook as she worked, but he had felt better knowing it was her doing it, not one of the Sensei's minions. The man was careful not to let them die unless he felt they deserved it, so hadn't taken the small supplies they had stocked, letting him and Lena help one another.

"Whoa," Lena jumped back in shock, staring at the wound in front of her. Her eyes were wide, mouth falling open soon after. "Luca, look."

"That's not exactly an optimistic tone."

"Just look."

Luca looked down at his middle, but blinked at what he saw, sure the blood loss had gone to his head. The wound should have looked crudely closed, red and bloody - but it appeared to have healed too quickly to be real. The stitches were still there, but there was a pale white line where the two sides of skin had already sealed together. It was impossible.

"H-how?"

"I just stitched you, this is . . ." Lena shook her head, reaching out to touch it. At her touch, Luca felt suddenly energised, a fresh wind of strength coming to him. Immediately, the colour returned to his cheeks and he breathed a happy sigh of relief. At this, Lena looked up sharply, "what is it?"

"When you touched me, I felt better, like I was soaking up your strength," he answered as honestly as he could, blushing a little. Luca knew he sounded stupid, but couldn't think of another way to phrase it - his English was better, but nothing could describe the feeling. "Is that . . . do you feel it, too?"

"I told you four days ago that I felt better when you were around."

"So you think you were right? We're connected, we can . . . heal each other?"

"I think there's something else going on," Lena shrugged. She kept a hand on his shoulder, and he felt that odd energy rush again. "Maybe it was that first touch when I was in the machine, something to do with the Pit and the serum . . . it heals, right? So maybe by touching in the moment it was changing me, we became linked. But it's more like borrowed energy or strength than healing."

"Huh," he breathed, "whatever it is, it's working. Don't let go."

She grinned, "never."

* * *

Ra's Al Ghul appeared towards the end of the seventh month. The attack was unexpected for the 'army', but the Sensei had known it was coming. You don't simply leave the League of Shadows, after all.

"Fight! Defend me!" he screamed as the base was swarmed with his former allies, running in the opposite direction himself. He had made them to destroy the League, and the children may stand a chance – but he did not. The Sensei ran away, leaving them with the orders to fight.

Eight of the soldiers complied, going on to face the onslaught of assassins. Two did not move from the sleeping room, sitting and waiting for the fighting to stop and praying they could escape in the aftermath.

"Ready?" Luca asked when the sound of battle stopped outside, conjuring large fireballs in his palms as they stood. He spared a glance at his companion, knowing she couldn't use her teleportation to get them out: the Sensei had made sure of that.

A large metal collar wrapped itself around Lena's neck, silver and gleaming. It had been discovered almost straight away that the only way to stop her from teleporting was with electricity, and so the foul device had been created – it gave her shocks severe enough to knock her out if she tried to escape. They had still attempted to get away a few times, but in the end Luca had insisted that they stop – Lena was having chest pains almost constantly from the shocks; he was worried about the condition of her heart. The amount of injuries marring them which would last forever – scars, internal wounds – it was horrific. He couldn't believe what they had become in seven months.

They ran outside, making their way stealthily through the maze of corridors. It was growing lighter in the stone halls, the first natural sunlight they had seen in a long time touching their skin; they were almost out. Almost free.

Of course, they were swarmed by figures then, the wind knocked out of them so they were left on the floor, defeated. Lena looked up to see a new figure watching them carefully. He had the same cold look of the Sensei, but without the insanity – he could inflict pain perfectly well with no excuse to do so. Somehow that was scarier.

"Interesting," the man said, "you did not fight with the other soldiers – why?"

"We do not owe that bastard our allegiance," Luca answered, tone braver than he felt. "We will never fight for him."

Lena spoke up, voice also steady; they were ready to die fighting or go free. "Are you here to kill us or liberate us?"

"We will see, child," the man replied. "For now – you shall come with us."

"Who the hell are you? What happened to him?"

"I am Ra's Al Ghul," he replied, "and the Sensei is dead. Come quietly unless you want to join him."

* * *

By the eleventh month, Lena wished she was dead. Dying hadn't been pleasant the first time, but Ra's was intrigued by the health the mixture of the Lazarus water and the serum had given them, routinely brining both her and Luca to the point of death to study the effects. She never truly died, thrown into a pit or patched up painfully by Luca, but it was worse than dying, in a way. Their connection helped them on the worst nights, holding on to one another and feeling their strength combine to sustain them one night more, but that was no way to live. The continuation of the pain was worse than nothingness.

He hadn't let them go. Instead, Ra's had picked up where the Sensei left off – but with only two of them remaining, Lena and Luca had nowhere to hide from his cruelty. He didn't want an army – he wanted the best assassins the world had ever seen.

It took a month for him to break them. A month. It was pathetic; Lena knew she had given in too easily, but she didn't even feel human anymore – she didn't remember what it was like to feel safe or sleep in a bed or be free to make her own choices. She wasn't a soldier, she was a slave. Worse, she was starting to forget her mother's face.

The eight month in, she killed for the first time. Ra's had been there. She didn't know the man's name, or his crime, but she had no choice but to obey. The Sensei was child's play compared to the League of Shadows; she couldn't fight anymore.

Now the number was almost fifty. She was an assassin – what she swore she would never be.

But the mask slipped at night, when it was just her and Luca again. Even when they were broken and killing, they still dreamed. Nobody could take that from them. They dreamed of escaping; after a few months, they had a plan. It wasn't fool-proof and it would mean fighting their way out bloodily, but in that eleventh month, they agreed they would rather die than carry on this way.

In the dead of night, they made their move. Fighting their way through the corridors around their prison, they dropped bodies without hesitation, telling themselves that the people they fought were assassins – but then, they were too. But they didn't want to be. They just wanted to go home and be kids again.

"Go," Luca grabbed her hand as they reached a fork in a corridor – where they agreed to split up. If they survived, they were meeting at the place they had agreed on many months ago. He tried to smile at her, "I'll see you in three days."

"You better," Lena replied, quickly pulling him into a hug, swallowing down the tears choking her up. For a second, she touched their foreheads together before nodding, "be safe, Hermano."

Then she ran in the opposite direction, a long, bloody night ahead of her before she saw the light of day.

* * *

Rio was beautiful. As soon as she had arrived at Brazil, sneaking on a freighter boat bound for South America and hitching the rest of the way to the bustling city, Lena had done her best to disguise herself. Her hair was blonde again, thankfully, but she would have to wait until she got back to Coast to sort out her eyes. The spray tan she'd got turned her skin golden, taking away the pasty gleam of months without sunlight, and that damn collar was gone. It had taken a blacksmith and one last nasty shock to be rid of it; she really felt free now. It had taken long enough.

She was trying to enjoy the feeling, but her stomach twisted and churned with worry about Luca. It was the third day, so they should meet today if he was alive. She couldn't stand it if he hadn't made it. Anything else but seeing him today was unthinkable.

As she climbed the steps, Lena glanced up at the looming statue, too white and pure against the brilliant sun. The humidity made her vest and shorts cling to her with sweat, but as she reached the top, laying a hand on the stone, it was worth it.

"Really is awesome," a voice said behind her, "you were right. Human greatness still exists."

She turned and threw herself into Luca's arms in an instant, only having time to take in his freshly cut hair, so odd and short, and the hat perched on his head, which she promptly knocked off. Burying her head in his shoulder, she cried softly. "We did it. We're free."

"It's a good life, Hermanna."

"It is. Let's go home."

"Home?"

"You're coming with me, of course," she answered, making a face at him. "After everything, did you really think I'd just leave you on the streets? No, you're coming to live in Coast with me, at least for now. You'll have to meet my mom, and I'll take you to that bay. As long as I'm around, brother, you're never going to be alone again."

* * *

**Now**

The door was knocked, a sharp wrapping, but not an impatient one. Glad she was alone in the mansion, Lena sent off the signal subtly, alerting the boys to run, and got to her feet; she had seen the League arriving, but acted unconcerned. Grabbing her sword, she walked slowly to answer the door, knowing Ra's Al Ghul waited on the other side . . .

* * *

**A/N: so that's the conclusion of Lena's missing year. Between the shadows and the sensei, it wasn't much of anything good and she has good reason to not talk about it, as far as I'm concerned. Also the borrowed strength from Luca explains why they're so close now. Back to the story next - two chapters left. are you excited? :)**


	23. Ticking

**Disclaimer: I don't own DC or Arrow. This is the penultimate chapter, so enjoy!**

* * *

**'Ticking'**

Felicity was getting annoyed. She was startlingly alone in Mount Justice, having unexpectedly been given a major workload that morning from Batman – it was slave's work, a lot of paper work and cataloguing any new information. Why it had been given to her, she had no idea – Barbara usually dealt with updating the database, but the redhead was unusually absent, as was pretty much everybody.

The Mountain was virtually empty apart from her and Victor, who kept shooting her nervous looks, but wasn't nearly subtle enough; she spotted them straight away and frowned.

Something was wrong, she could feel it. All this work felt like a distraction – but from what?

When she had realised it Felicity had excused herself to the bathroom to call Oliver, looking for some answers. The responses he gave were aloof and evasive, his voice taking on a slightly higher tone she had come to associate with him lying, ending the call quickly with some rubbish excuse about the League having a case.

If Oliver was lying to her, something was really, really wrong. He didn't do that, not anymore, not to her; they were a team. Together, they were stronger and he promised to never leave her out of anything important.

So she was feeling pretty crappy as she slugged through the work regardless, trying to subtly check the League's most recent files for a clue as to what was going on. Coming up with nothing, she huffed in frustration – until something caught her eye. It was an old case scan constantly running on the League's system: she had set it up to constantly check every security camera in America for Slade Wilson. The facial recognition software was virtually foolproof, but had caught a result a few hours previously.

It made sense. If there was one person Oliver always tried to defend her from, it was Slade.

That didn't make it hurt any less. She had proven too many times that she wasn't afraid of Deathstroke and Oliver could probably use her help – why didn't he just tell her? Didn't he trust her? Felicity took a deep breath to calm herself. Letting her thoughts spiral wasn't going to help anyone right now. She needed more information on what was going on; where Slade was and why.

With that in mind, she pulled up the video surveillance, but soon her face was bent into confusion as she saw where he was – not Starling, but Coast. Her hometown.

Feeling a surge of protectiveness flare up not just for her fiancée, but for her home, she watched Slade make his way through town. The footage was taken a few hours ago, so she sped it up to watch the villain's progress as he walked methodically through familiar streets, occasionally glancing at one of the cameras. He wanted to be found, then.

It was when she saw his destination that her heart stopped – the graveyard.

* * *

Lena opened the door, trying to stop her hands from shaking. As she expected, Ra's stood on the other side, flanked by his daughters and black-masked assassins, only looking up at the sound. He the same as he did all those years ago – old and wrinkled, a whispy beard and darkish skin all overshadowed by the coldest eyes she had ever seen. He smiled at her.

"Hello, Prudence – or should I call you Lena now?"

"You finally worked it out, huh?" she forced a laugh, backing away slowly with one hand resting on the sword on her hip. Ra's and the League entered the Queen mansion quietly, looking around. There were enough that she would have to think twice about trying to fight them all – so stalling was a good idea. Ra's was always one to talk. She grinned at him, "Remind me not to pick future alias' based off old Beatles songs."

"We were always going to find you," Ra's replied. "You killed too many of our own in your little escape to let you just walk away."

"All I ever wanted was to be free. I'm not sorry for that."

"And the people you work with now, they know you're a killer?" Ra's asked, voice soft as silk. He knew the words had hit their mark when she flinched. "That's what I thought – Batman would never work with someone like you, not after all you've done."

"He trained with you, too."

"He failed me too – but you killed a lot more people before running away."

Lena gritted her teeth at the comment. Usually, she would talk back, but she needed to keep her head. This time she wanted to survive. She had gotten over that year and moved on with her life – she intended to keep it. "I don't care what you think of me. I was never the weapon you wanted me to be – I fought back and_ I_ won. And you know how I'm sure of that?"

"Do enlighten me."

"My name," she answered with a shrug, "what was it you called me? 'Poison' right? That's the assassin you wanted me to be: your secret poison. But you need to break someone, take away their identity_ completely _to rename them, and you_ never_ broke me! Even when I was pretending to be yours, I never forgot my mother or truly stopped fighting to get back to her. You didn't take away Lena Smoak – and I have a new name now."

"I've heard," Ra's replied. "It's stupid. You claim not to be mine, but you are named after the weapon you were trained in during that year."

"It's not how you fight; it's what you're fighting for. And I'm doing this for my family now, on my own terms with my own name, and I will never give that up. I_ am_ Saber."

"Regardless, I will offer you one last time – join me or die."

"Die, please." Lena unsheathed her sword, extending it out in front of her in a fluid motion. The assassins moved on instinct to attack her, and the fight began. She slashed out at the first man – but to incapacitate, not kill. If she was going to keep her word, she couldn't be that person anymore: this fight was one she had to win fairly.

With a cry, she charged as at least twenty assassins circled.

* * *

Knowing she couldn't just sit by and wait anymore, Felicity pretended to keep working, although in her head she planned a way out. Sure now that Cyborg was only there to baby-sit her and make sure she didn't leave, Felicity had to solve the problem of getting past him before anything. If she could distract him, it would leave the Zeta wide open for a short trip to Coast, but first she had to find a way to trick him.

Logically, she knew this was probably a mistake. Oliver had only lied to keep her here because he didn't want her to be hurt by Slade again. But as much as she appreciated the sentiment, Felicity knew he would probably need her help eventually. Going up against Deathstroke was never easy; Oliver would need the entire team Team to take his oldest enemy down. He would need _her_.

Felicity was scared as hell, remembering her last meeting with the madman, but knew she had to be brave. If there was anything she had learnt this past year it was that somewhere in her was a little spark of courage, she just had to let it grow. Thoughts of Slade passed through her mind as she sat, making her hands clench on her armrests until her knuckles were white.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up at the words to see Cyborg staring at her. His brows were pinched in worry, so she plastered a smile she hoped was convincing over her face. "I'm fine," she lied, deciding to try and learn as much as she could, "this is just a lot of work. Where's Barbara?"

"She's . . . uh, she's busy today."

"Really? Oliver didn't mention any missions," Felicity frowned, pretending to be hurt. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

"I. . . "The young man was never too good with dealing with emotions, so she forced a few tears from her eyes, an act she realized was coming too naturally to her.

"Sorry, I don't mean to cry. I'm just so tired these days."

"It will, uh . . . be alright. Yeah."

"I hope so. You'd tell me if there was something wrong, wouldn't you?"

Cyborg felt terrible for lying to his friend, but made himself nod. "Of course, Felicity."

"Hey Vic," she smiled sweetly in his direction, brightening, "I'm starving. I think I'm gonna head to Starling and grab a pizza, want some?"

"I think we've got pizza in the fridge," he replied a little too quickly, getting to his feet in a rush. "I'll go check – there's no need to go out if we don't have to, right?"

He rushed off to the kitchen in search of food, completely unaware Felicity guessed something was going on and was working on leaving. As soon as he disappeared, she ran to the Zeta and keyed in the co-ordinates, whispering a quick apology as she disappeared.

* * *

Lena had taken out most of his assassins when Ra's called the rest off, watching her curiously.

"You haven't forgotten your training," he remarked, almost sadly. Pulling out his own sword, he faced her in battle, single combat as agreed. Stopping a few paces in front of her, he shook his head with regret. "You could have been the greatest, you know."

Her voice was bitter in reply, "there's nothing great about killing, Ra's. There are better ways to fix the world."

The great evil in the room opened his mouth to reply, but a new voice beat him to it.

"And she's already the greatest," Roy said, appearing at the top of the stairs. He was in full uniform, and had an arrow notched at the assassins waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Even under the hood, Lena could see the anger on his face, while her own fell into confusion. A few paces behind him were Tim, Dick and Steph, all holding Batarangs and glaring at the unwelcome guests.

Oliver walked in from the front room, Sara behind him. The Canary was looking at her former master in fury, body tense; she shared a look with Nysaa, silently asking 'how could you?' A second later there was a gust of wind at the open door, Barry and Wally appearing there.

Then Hal burst through a window, and so say she was shocked would be an understatement. He carried a construct filled with the League: Batman, Superman, Oracle, Wonder Woman, J'onn, Kara, and even the two Hawks stepping off it, waiting a few paces behind Lena.

She looked around them, a few of her friends catching her eyes and nodding. Lena didn't have a clue how they knew to come, but she was glad they had. For the longest time, she had really believed she had to fight this alone – this was her fault, her fight. But seeing them, Lena realised how stupid that had been. They were her family. If anyone could have helped, it was them.

Turning to the demon himself again, she smirked in triumph. "I'd say you were outnumbered, Ra's."

"We had a deal," he hissed, jabbing his sword towards her but not making a real effort to harm her. His entire face was set into a furious line. "I don't hurt your family, and you fight me. That was what we agreed."

"Your deal just became redundant," Oliver spoke up, walking to stand at Lena's side. She had only seen him look so angry a handful of times; for a second she thought he was going to shoot Ra's point blank in the face. "I think you should leave."

"Everything we agreed upon is done, in that case. Your little family are fair game."

Oliver lost it, "don't you dare threaten them! Every single person in this room would kill you right now for what you've done – but we're better than you. Lena is better than you. And you will _not_ hurt her or anyone else."

"Why? You have nothing left to bargain with."

"She is a member of the Justice League," Batman spoke up, and Lena's heart surged at the praise. "You touch her, you get all of us. We won't ever stop coming."

Ra's face could have been stone then. He grew very still, only parts of his jaw twitching in utter fury, but slowly sheathed his sword. But he still wasn't done. "You can't wash away what's already passed, dear Prudence. You can never escape that."

"You still don't get it, do you?!" Lena shouted, her voice marred between desperation and manic laughter. She took a step closer to her torturer. "You've lost, Ra's! _You_ lost. Because you've forgotten one very important fact."

He bit, "and what's that?"

"We knew you were coming."

"_What_?"

"You see, Luca – right now him and Red Hood, who I know you've met – they're blowing up every Lazarus Pit in existence." She laughed cruelly, tears leaking from the edges of her eyes as she jabbed a finger towards him, "We knew you'd bring everyone to see me die, that you couldn't resist it. That left your little hideout's vulnerable. All it took was a Zeta and a few bombs."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. You will_ not_ hurt anyone again, Ra's. We'll leave one pool untouched, but with a bomb somewhere near it, and if you ever attack my family, if you _ever_ even think about recreating the serum which gave me powers – we will detonate it." She lifted her chin a fraction of an inch upwards. "_We_ won."

The man before her stopped, outraged, looking her dead in the eyes for a moment. Ra's Al Ghul respected her in that moment, the girl who stopped him twice. The boy, too, he was to be feared. He spoke up, "Well played, girl."

With that, Ra's and the League of Shadows turned on heel and marched away. They moved quickly, the ninjas vanishing as soon as they stepped foot out of the door; nobody moved until Ra's was out of sight for good.

Then Lena was attacked by a blur of red. "You idiot," Roy said in her ear as he hugged her fiercely, "you _idiot_, taking them on alone! You should have told us."

"How did you know?" she asked, stepping out of the hug and looking around at the assembled League members. "I . . . I didn't want any of you to get hurt."

"Luca," Oliver answered, looking at her intently, "he came to us and let J'onn see his memories - he showed us everything. He told us that you would need us, and called us as soon as you let off the signal."

Lena shook her head, tears springing to her eyes, "y-you saw everything? And you don't . . ."

"Don't what?"

"Hate me."

She said the words without emotion, staring up at him through glassy eyes before dropping her gaze to her feet. It was clear she thought that of herself, making everyone's hearts break for her a little more. It had been hard enough for them to hear the details of her year under the Sensei and the League; to see everything she and Luca endured – but the hatred aimed inward on her face was devastating.

"What happened wasn't your fault, Lena," Oliver told her firmly, lifting her chin up to meet his gaze. He saw the doubt in her eyes, "it _wasn't_. It was theirs – you survived, and that's a victory. You fought them longer than any of us would have in your place. You're family . . . _nothing_ changes that. I just wish you would have told us, you didn't have to carry that alone."

"Really? But the things I did-"

"You more than make up for with the good you do now."

It took her only a few steps to get to him and throw her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly. Oliver put a hand on Lena's shaking back as she cried into his shirt, seeing from the faces of everyone around him that it wouldn't be the last hug she received that day.

"I'm sorry," Lena whispered to him, "I didn't want anyone to get hurt."

"We're not; and we're not going to be. It's okay," Oliver nodded as he saw Wally and Steph approaching, knowing the kids would be much better at dealing with all the crying than he was, rubbing her on the back a final time. "It's going to be okay."

* * *

Felicity took a cab to the graveyard, having it park a street away and running the rest, pulling off her heels and carrying them until she reached the wall. Ducking behind it, she peeked through the railings – but the graveyard looked deserted. She couldn't even see Oliver or any sign of the League there.

She should have known there was something wrong about that, but Felicity was too worked up to see reason. Slade was going near her mother and nothing else mattered.

"Where are you, Oliver?" she whispered around, looking around for somewhere he and the League could be hiding but finding none. Deciding to look for them first, she followed the wall around the entire graveyard, scanning the area for tech and superheroes. When she got to the main gate and still found nothing, Felicity reasoned the fight was over – she had missed it.

Seeing no harm in checking her mom hadn't been disturbed, she began to make her way towards Mrs. Smoak's resting spot, taking a less direct route and walking low behind the graves. It wasn't much cover, but it had worked before. Picking her way up a hill which would give her a clear view down to her mother's grave to check it was all clear, just in case, Felicity paused.

There wasn't a soul in sight. But the grave . . . it was dug up, the casket empty.

Her mother's body was gone.

* * *

"Lena?" Bruce asked loudly, but no one paid him any attention. The Shadows were long gone, but they were still in the Queen's reception room, voices talking loudly all around him. The girl in question was still shaking a little bit, although she was talking to Hal and John about something, the Lanterns managing to drag a hint of a smile from her; Batman supposed that was fortunate. If she could still smile, she could recover from this. He spoke louder, putting in his Batman voice, "Saber?"

She looked up quickly, looking worried, "yes?"

"We still need to talk about all of this," Batman replied. He felt a lot of heads turn in his direction, but nobody spoke up. "Luca . . . what he showed us affected us all. I'd like to hear things from your perspective."

"Time to tell the truth, huh?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I figured I'd have to if I survived this," she shrugged, sitting down on the staircase. Her eyes were sad for a moment, but Wally appeared at her side and put an arm around her, making her laugh again. "Thanks, Kid."

"It's okay," Wally replied, "they wouldn't let me see, but I don't care. You're always gonna be my big cousin. And my hero."

"I thought _I_ was your hero, Kid?" Barry joked, "betrayal – from my own family, too."

Lena laughed at them, still smiling as she looked up. "Well, it started with changing my identity, I guess – wait," she frowned, looking around, "where's Felicity?"

"She's at Mount Justice," Oliver replied quickly, "she's safe, I promise. I didn't want her here in case Ra's attacked her."

"Good man. But she should hear this – can we go to her first? I'll tell you everything when we're together; we should wait for Luca and Jay, too, actually . . ."

"Okay," Superman said, clapping his hands, "back to the Mountain in ten, everybody. I know you've taken time out to be here, so if you have cities to get back to-"

"We're all coming, Boy Scout," Kara teased her Uncle, grinning at her old friend as she started corralling everyone towards the front door. "For Lena, right?"

There were murmurs of agreement throughout. When they were the last ones to leave, Oliver and Roy turned to see Lena still frozen on the stairs, tears running down her face.

"Hey," Roy crouched in front of her, face concerned as he took her hands, "what's wrong?"

Lena's answer was simple, but heartfelt. "They care."

* * *

Crouched behind a grave, Felicity frowned and was about to get to her feet when the area next to her head was blasted with a black ray. The grave shattered, sending rocks and dust everywhere as Felicity ducked for cover.

When it cleared, she looked to the source of the blast – and froze.

"No," Felicity breathed, "no, no it can't be. It can't be you."

Because floating a few feet away, Black Lantern ring on her hand, was her mother.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! But the last chapter _is_ the last, I have to give you some suspense. Review now and next chapter if you want an epilogue. Also, the title for the next chapter is my favourite. I can't wait to post it.**


	24. Smoak on the wind

**Disclaimer & A/N: I don't own Arrow. So guys . . . this is the last chapter. A _huge_ thank you to WolfOfHiddenMoons and XxWhyxxSoxxSeriousxX for reviewing every update and making me smile a lot! You guys were the best! I feel like it was ages ago I started this story, but it has gone so fast - I'm sad to see it go. I could be persuaded to write an epilogue if anyone wants one, and just drop me an ask if you want my overview of 'what happens next' or just make it up yourself, this story is yours. Anyway, this chapter title is my favourite and for the last time . . . _enjoy_.**

* * *

**'Smoak on the wind'**

Felicity stood on shaking legs, the sky turning an ugly shade of grey above them, the wind whipping around her, sending her skirt and hair into a flurry. The grave was still smoking softly behind her, and she knew she should be running – but she was frozen. Nothing seemed to matter but the figure in front of her.

Her mother looked almost the way she remembered her –the disease which gripped her had worn away her body and mind, but it was still the woman she had once known. Her clothes were dirty, her face skeletal – a reanimated corpse. Mrs. Smoak's hair shone as brightly as Felicity's now did, floating below the storm, her face the same one that had sang her lullabies as a kid, her hands the same ones that had hugged Felicity tightly so many times.

It was her.

Although everything screamed that it was impossible, Felicity stared up at her mother and her heart soared, forgetting everything but the joy at seeing her again as all reasonable thought was driven from her mind.

"Mom?" Felicity fell back suddenly, stumbling backwards a few steps. Suddenly, she was desperate to get away, to run as fast as she could away from the thing with her mother's face. Because it wasn't, it _couldn't_ be really her.

Mrs. Smoak did not reply. Instead, she slowly raised her ringed hand and sent another beam of light in her daughter's direction.

Felicity dodged the blast, instincts and training kicking in. She jumped and rolled, using the movement to get immediately back to her feet and start running. Using the dust and smoke hanging in the air as a screen to disappear in, Felicity moved left instead of away, running low with the graves as cover. She chose one thirty feet away to hide behind, just a simple grave, nothing too noticeable or fancy. That would only draw attention.

The voices in her head telling her what to do in the situation were a mixture of Lena and Oliver, urging her strategically what to do as she tried to slow her breathing, back against the stone. All Felicity wanted to do was cry, feeling the tears build up in the back of her throat and threatening to send her into a panic, her breathing choked out and shaky.

It was her mother back there, flying and shooting laser beams around. Her _dead_ mother who Felicity hadn't seen in years, the one she had abandoned – of course she hated her. Felicity felt her heart drop, knowing that if her mother had somehow miraculously returned, she had every reason to attack the daughter who left her.

Felicity made a small noise as she began to cry, the tears falling thick and fast down her face. Logically, she knew it was because she was in shock. Her body was reacting to her mother coming back from the dead, and the fact Maria Smoak was apparently trying to kill her.

For a few long minutes the blonde sobbed uncontrollably, knees pulled up to her chest and arms tightly hugging herself. She knew she should be trying to hide better or run, her mother probably searching the graveyard for her right now, but even the thought of moving seemed unthinkable. How could she fight something she still felt guilty over?

Because in the end, it always came back to that. All those years ago, Felicity had let her fear rule her; she had run away, leaving her family and her innocence behind. It had come back to haunt her years ago with Lena, who was so full of hate and resentment when they first met, and it was back again now. It killed her. It really did ache like something eating away at her, the guilt wrapping around her lungs and squeezing until she was short of breath.

Felicity Smoak was clever, even in her state. She knew the best thing to do would be to wait it out and run away, to escape while she was able to . . . but she couldn't. That wasn't her anymore. It was fear which brought her there; she had to be brave now, to face it.

Her mother, if it was her, was dangerous. Maria could kill people if Felicity didn't stop her now. So Felicity shifted and forced her tears away. Eyes drying, she shook her head to clear it, the voices having been deafened by her crying, but now she needed a plan.

Sitting up straight, Felicity used the graves to run behind until she located her mom, heart steadying as her mind grasped at possibilities. She looked down at the engagement ring on her hand, brushing it with her fingers for luck.

She didn't want to die here alone, but the computer specialist also knew she had a duty to her hometown to save it. At the very least, she would fight her mother or die trying to stop her.

* * *

When Oliver, Roy and Lena walked out of the mansion a little after everyone else, looking every bit the family they were, a new face caught their attention quickly. Victor Stone was standing on their lawn in a panic, but ran towards them as soon as they appeared.

"Is she here?" Cyborg demanded. He couldn't believe Felicity had run off and tricked him, but his worry was far greater than any annoyance of the fact. "Did Felicity come here?"

"No," Oliver shook his head, "you were supposed to be watching her!"

"I was. She worked out something was up and tricked me, took the Zeta somewhere – I thought she had come here!"

"She didn't know about any of this: not the Shadows, not what Luca told us, nothing. How would she know to come here?"

"Then where did she go?"

Oliver cursed out loud, feeling his heart go into hyper-drive. The day had been stressful enough, but nothing scared him more than the thought of Felicity being in danger – but why would she run off? He frowned, turning to the League, "someone search the grounds and see if she came here. Everyone else – back to the Mountain, see if we can track her."

He didn't know what was going on, Oliver realized – the exact same position he had put Felicity in. Knowing he should have told her about this but also that she would have marched right in there with them and most likely punched Ra's Al Ghul in the face, he blanched, worried she might have run into the Shadows somehow. But that was impossible – they'd been too careful.

But the thought scared him half to death.

She must have found something else. The thought of her being taken by the Shadows was so terrible; he searched for other solutions immediately. He knew that if she thought he was keeping something from her, she would go digging until she found something to chase. Felicity could be anywhere.

"Oliver," Lena said, and he turned to see her with a phone to her ear. "I'm going to try and find her, if I can. Try not to worry; you work better with a clear head. She'll be fine. I swear that if Ra's has touched her I'll make him regret it."

"No," he shook his head at her, "you're better than that. Find your sister and make her safe – leave any revenge to me."

She paused for a moment before nodding. "Good luck. Whatever happens, Felicity survives - agreed?"

"Agreed."

A second later, Lena had vanished in a green light. He knew she must be really worried if she was using her powers. Minus two Smoak's and terrified, Oliver turned on his heel and began running, Roy silently at his side. One way or another, he was going to bring Felicity home.

* * *

When her phone buzzed and she saw the caller I.D, Felicity felt relief rise up in her chest, thinking her luck might have changed. Her sister called right when she needed her the most – when did she do any differently?

"Felicity?" Lena's voice was worried on the other end, "where are you? Are you safe?"

Frowning at the words and realizing hers was apparently not the only fight going on today, Felicity was careful to whisper in reply. She could see her mother, but Maria hadn't found her hiding spot yet. Surprise was the key: she knew she had to remain hidden for now, so answered quietly and concisely. "Not really. I'm at the graveyard and I need backup."

". . . Coast? Why are you there?"

"I don't have time to explain, but Slade was here and . . . a-and he did something to mom."

Felicity could practically hear the gears ticking in her sister's head. Lena was so much closer with their mother, especially at the end; this was going to be a big bombshell. "What?"

"She's here," Felicity answered, voice shaking, "s-she's alive. He must have brought her back somehow."

"Mom's back?" Lena breathed. Felicity heard the hope in her voice for a moment, and hated that she had to crush it.

"She is, but there's something wrong with her. It's her body and her face but . . . she's flying and shooting lasers and trying to kill me. I mean, she has reason to want me dead, but it's all off. Mom didn't have powers. But then again, mom wasn't able to come back from the dead, either."

"No-"

"I'm sorry," Felicity interrupted, hearing the hurt. "I don't know how to fight back-"

"_No_," Lena interrupted in turn, more forcefully, "Mom would never hurt you, Fee. _Never_. Slade must have done something to her . . . but she would never do this. It might look like mom, but it's not her."

"I left, Lena. She has every right to hate me. I abandoned you both."

"You can't beat yourself up about that forever! I was mad at first, for years I blamed you _but mom never did_. Sometimes I hated her too for having such love for you even after you left, I was angry, but she never stopped loving you. She never blamed you. Mom wouldn't do this, Fee," Lena said, her voice really trembling, "This isn't her, so don't hold any punches if it comes to it. Mom's g-gone, Fee. You have to let her go."

Felicity felt her life slow for a second. "I can't."

"I'm so sorry; I never should have blamed you. But you're braver than you think you are, Fee. You're strong. You can do this, I believe in you."

"How do I fight back?" Felicity asked, "She's flying!" _And I don't think I could kill her twice . . ._

"How is she flying?"

"I don't know, there's a ring on her finger," Felicity answered distractedly, watching the figure. Her mother was getting closer and closer. "It seems to be what's letting her do all this stuff."

Lena sounded troubled, "a ring? Wait, what colour is it?"

"Black."

"Felicity, get out of there right now."

"What? I can't!"

"You have to run, that's a Black Lantern ring. Felicity, go now!"

"I can't run away again, Lena," the older sister answered. "So either tell me how to fight this or don't because I'm trying anyway! Mom deserves better than this. She should be at peace."

"O-Okay but listen to be carefully, Felicity. Black Lantern rings are dangerous. There shouldn't even be one on Earth; they're supposed to be locked up on OA. They feed on emotion – fear, anger, hate – it makes them stronger."

"So how do I stop one?"

"Light," Lena answered. She was trying to teleport while on the phone, desperately jumping towards her sister. But she was drained and worried the connection would cut out if she jumped too far at once, so it would take her at least ten minutes to get there. "The brighter, the better. I can help with that, but until I get there if you want to fight you have to be quick – and you can't stop. If you can hurt her faster than the ring can regenerate her, she might stay down. Do you have a weapon?"

Felicity looked around, frantically looking for something – a rock, a branch – until she remembered something. Dashing forwards, she headed to where she had originally encountered the Lantern, sighing in relief when she saw her bag was where she had dropped it, untouched.

"I - hello?" Felicity called down the phone, but the connection was suddenly crackled. "Lena?!"

"Fe-city," the voice was broken up, but definitely her sister. "Remember – training. I believe in you."

When the line went completely dead, Felicity dropped the phone in shock. She was on her own now.

"_There you are_," a detached, cold voice said directly behind her; Felicity span around to find her Black Lantern mother behind her, zombieish look on her face. It was terrifying, but she forced her hands to be steady as she backed away, slowly moving towards her fallen bag – and what was inside. The Black Lantern followed her, "_Hiding from your mother – old habits die hard, it seems._"

Ignoring the jolt of pain the words caused, Felicity kept moving backwards but stumbled, falling a few feet away from her target. The first black beam hit next to her leg as her mother advanced, but the blonde kept scrambling backwards, jumping the last few feet and pulling a black cylinder from her bag.

When Felicity pushed a button, the cylinder expanded on both sides, leaving her holding a compact crossbow.

She grinned, loading an arrow in seconds. The movements were familiar to her by now: she had trained well, hands not fumbling on the arrow as they once had, instead moving quickly and nimbly, completely fluid. By the time the Lantern had worked it out, Felicity had the first shot lined up – and let the arrow fly.

Striking the Lantern in the centre of her chest, Felicity tried not to look the figure in the face, still wincing at attacking something which looked so much like her mother. Telling herself that it wasn't her, Felicity sent off arrow after arrow at the figure; it fell and staggered, not able to fly anymore, let alone attack.

"_Felicity,_" the figure moaned in her mother's voice, "_why are you doing this to me? Why did you leave me?_"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Felicity whispered to herself, trying to shut it out. Her voice started to shake again, but she forced her hands to be steady as she let off another arrow, hitting the figure in the knee. It went down hard.

"_You used to be such a good girl. Did I do something wrong? I loved you – why did you leave? I needed my special girl, my brave Felicity, and you weren't there. Why? Why?!_"

The Lantern had started screaming, and Felicity stopped for just a second, panting hard. She stared back at a face she knew too well with wide eyes, shaking her head as if that would make it all go away.

"You're not my mom. You're not her."

"_I'm right here, Felicity. Or did you forget what my face looked like? You were gone for a long time._"

"No! Shut. Up." Felicity ground out the words, tears streaming down her face again. "I was scared! I left and I'll never forgive myself, but I was a scared kid, not a monster! I'm not that person anymore. I won't be. I'm always going to be there for my sister, and for Oliver and everyone else. I love them," Felicity shot another arrow into the Lantern's shoulder, edge of determination creeping into her voice, "and you won't take me away from them. I'm not guilty. I'm not angry. I'm not scared anymore. I won't let it change me forever!"

For a moment, the Black Lantern stopped approaching, as if it were confused. What Felicity didn't know was that at that moment, her complete resolution and absolution of all the emotions which had been weighing her down for years had messed with its vision. Instead of seeing the red of rage or yellow of fear like it normally did in humans, the Black Lantern could only see a bright, dazzling white.

Felicity fired on. She was surprised at the accuracy of her aim, her hands remarkable steady as she squeezed her eyes shut to gauge the distance and trajectories she would need to take down the figure. Felicity had expected to be scared out of her wits, but some long-forgot battle instincts kicked in, clearing her head from anything but what she needed to do to survive.

It wasn't until she was out of arrows that Felicity realized she'd backed herself up against a grave with nowhere to run.

"_Out of time,_" the Lantern taunted as she turned yellow with fear again, trapped and alone. "_You're all alone, Felicity. It's over._"

Felicity looked around desperately, but couldn't see a way out. Instead she looked at her mother's face, tears falling down her face and chin because she wasn't ready to leave; she didn't want to break her promise so soon and leave her family. They needed her.

But she looked into black eyes, eventually whimpering and closing hers, waiting for an end.

"She's not alone!"

Felicity flinched up again at the cry, opening her eyes in time to see the Lantern blasted back by another light – a fireball. A second later two figures ran into her vision; she recognised Luca's dark hair and features as he tore after the Lantern – but she jumped when she saw his hands were on fire.

_No_, Felicity thought, _he's creating the fire_.

Even as she watched, the young man's hands blasted into twin fireballs which he shot off at the figure, engulfing the Lantern in the flames. It seemed to take a lot of concentration, as he didn't even look away, eyes fierce and the fire reflected in them.

"You okay?" the second figure, Jason Todd, asked as he knelt next to her, helping her to her feet. Felicity could only nod yes as she stumbled over to Luca, Jason holding up the blonde as she shook so violently she couldn't walk on her own. He shouted over to his new friend, "We need to get out of here, flameboy."

"Don't ever call me that again," Luca replied through gritted teeth, "and you go, I'll stay here. I owe Mrs. Smoak that."

"We're not leaving you," Felicity found herself saying, putting a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "You're family too. I'm not going without you."

"Do you both want to die?!" Jason screamed, shaking his head. He ran a hand through his hair before grabbing two guns from hidden holsters, facing the Black Lantern with them all the same. "Friggin' Smoaks. You're all insane."

"It runs in the family."

Jason started shooting the corpse as Luca surrounded it with fire, not burning it directly if he could help it but creating a tunnel of flames to trap it. He listened when Felicity told him to make the fire burn bright, not hot; they all saw the figure start to fade slowly, the ring losing control of its host.

On the left of the fire hurricane, a flash of green light marked the arrival of Lena. Assessing the situation quickly, she dashed towards her sister, wrapping Felicity in a strong hug when she got there.

"You did it," she whispered, "knew you could, Fee."

"I didn't," Felicity choked back, torn between a laugh and a sob. "T-that's mom. I was about to die when Luca and Jason showed up."

Lena looked up at that, turning to her friends. She received a nod from Jason, who was reloading his ammo every other minute, so addressed Luca, "Have you got her?"

"For now," he replied, "we're going to need a plan before long, though. I can't keep this up."

"The League's on their way. Hal and the other Lantern's can help, their rings can help you contain her until the Black ring releases its host. We're gonna be fine, L."

"I-" Luca started to talk, but cut off with a scream of pain when a bullet hit him in the shoulder. He fell heavily, his fire fading instantly as they were all covered with a spray of red. The man slumped against a grave, held up by Lena, who moved to help him without needing to be told. Although he wanted to hold onto her desperately, Luca held the wound on his own shoulder, telling her firmly, "They need you, not me. Go."

Lena only paused for a second, looking him in the eyes before she stood. Felicity was crouched, Jason shielding her as best he could; her eyes following the line of the shot, Lena found Slade Wilson approaching them. He stormed towards them, manic anger on his face.

"No!" Slade yelled, gun still trained on the crouching people, "you don't get to win. You were never supposed to beat the Lantern; you can't escape this!"

"_You_ did this?" Felicity asked, getting slowly to her feet. If she was going to die, it wasn't going to be kneeling in front of Deathstroke.

Jason stood next to her, watching the scene calculatingly. Unfortunately, he had been halfway through reloading when Slade had attacked, so his guns were useless. But he stood a little in front of her, knowing he owed Lena to take a bullet for Felicity if it came down to it. Turning slightly, he watched the Black Lantern begin to recover, careful to keep one eye on each villain.

"Of course," Slade sneered, "Thought you'd stopped me, did you? I promised Oliver Queen I would take what he loved, and I still intend to keep that promise."

"You're insane."

"You've said that before."

"No," Felicity yelled, voice picking up. She stood a little straighter, looking truly scary with the anger plastered on her face. "I mean you're insane to go after my family again. If there's one thing you should have learnt by now, it's that they're off limits. You shouldn't have used my mother like this. Nobody touches the Smoaks."

"Well said, Fee," Lena nodded, hand twitching on her sword, "couldn't agree with you more."

"What are two girls going to do to me?" Slade asked, voice haughty. "You've tried to stop me before and failed. I won't ever stop coming. You might as well give up now."

"It's not really my style," the younger sister called back, smirk on her face. "I've won one battle today, Wilson. And it was against someone much, much worse than_ you_. Now, stop this, or I'll put you down."

"Never."

Lena looked at her sister and shrugged, "I tried reasoning with him."

A second later, she had teleported, grabbing Slade by his coat before he could even react. In the space of a blink, they were both gone – without Slade even getting a shot off.

In the wake of them leaving, Felicity paused. For a moment, she worried about her sister, thinking that dragging off a super-villain with a walking armoury probably wasn't a good idea – then she let go of the breath she had been holding. Lena would be fine. She always was.

Turning, she noticed Jason desperately loading his gun again, barely having time to do so before the Black Lantern attacked them. He dodged the laser beam, but Felicity was caught off guard. It hit the ground in front of her, the blast sending her flying backwards a few feet, landing on the grass and having the wind choked out of her. Gasping for breath, Felicity managed to sit; Jason was unloading his bullets into the Lantern, but it wouldn't last for long. He'd have to reload soon, and eventually he'd run out of bullets.

"No,_ please_," Felicity breathed. They'd fought too hard to lose now. Stumbling her way over to her bag, she pulled out the medical kit that she'd begun carrying out of habit. Pulling out a wad of gauze, she knelt next to Luca, whose eyes were closed as he held his bleeding shoulder. He flinched when she pressed the material against the wound, moving his hand first, "here, try and stop the bleeding."

He nodded in pain, "thanks."

"How bad is it?"

"Bad," he confirmed, opening an eye, even though it hurt a lot. He saw the worry on her face, so much like Lena's and her mothers. "You need me to stop her, don't you?"

"Can you?"

"It will take what strength I have left, but yes," Luca replied, "help me stand."

"No," Felicity shook her head. "You can't die, we'll find another way."

"Not quick enough. Help me stand, Felicity. It's okay. I promised your sister a long time ago to help her in any way I can, which involves saving her sister on occasion," he chuckled weakly. Felicity helped him to stand, and he raised a hand towards the Lantern and Jason. Seeing his opportunity, he created another fireball in his palm, striking the corpse with the flames once more. Every blow seemed to exhaust him, until Felicity was the only thing keeping him standing; sweat ran down his face from the effort.

Luca was about to collapse when help arrived. Suddenly, a green light blasted the figure from the opposite side the fireballs were, quickly joined by two more as the three Earth Lanterns flew in. Hal zoomed around to their side, checking Felicity was okay before turning to surround the Black Lantern in light, while John and Guy stayed on the other side.

It took only a few minutes for the three Lanterns to destroy the Black ring; it dropped helplessly to the ground next to the body it was animated, useless once more.

Felicity felt tears of relief fall from her eyes, but they didn't last for long. Unable to hold up Luca's weight anymore, she lowered the younger man to the ground, resting him against another grave. He groaned as he fell; face so much paler than it had been before his last wave of attacks.

"Help is coming," Felicity promised, hearing a thundering of boots behind her. The League was finally here. "It's going to be okay."

"It's not," he shook his head. Twisting it, he smiled briefly, "Hey, Oliver. Jason alright?"

Oliver had kneeled next to Felicity, putting his arm around her quickly before going to work; putting pressure on the other man's wound. At the question, he looked around to see Dick and Bruce kneeling next to someone else, although Jason got to his feet a few seconds later and started limping over. He appeared injured, but not badly.

"Jason's fine," Oliver told Luca, but his eyes were unfocused. He probably wasn't aware of much, the blood loss starting to set in. "You need to stay awake. Can you do that?"

"Sure," Luca replied hazily. "'course I can."

Oliver turned to Felicity, looking at her with concern, "are you hurt?"

"No, just shaken up," she replied. Seeing him struggling to piece things together, she explained, "Slade used the Black Lantern ring on my mother. I think he thought I wouldn't fight back against her, but it wasn't her . . . not really. Luca had managed to subdue her when Slade shot him."

"That bastard," the Arrow growled, "where is he?"

"Lena took off with him," Felicity bit her lip, suddenly worried; "do you think she's okay? It's been a while."

"She'll be fine," Luca answered from below them, coughing a little. A trickle of blood flowed from his mouth as he did, the rest of the League appearing in his line of sight. He nodded to Jason when he saw the other man, continuing, "Ask anyone, Lena can handle asshole like that any day."

Felicity smiled a little at his language, "you mean a lot to her, you know."

"She's gonna kill me for getting hurt."

"Nope," Lena's voice cut in, as she reappeared a few feet away and pushed her way through the crowd, kneeling beside him, "I'm going to save you, just like always. You ready?"

He just nodded grimly, taking her hand when she offered it. Before Felicity could ask what was going on, the only person still unaware of the full extent of their abilities, Lena and Luca had begun to glow. Their edges became undefined as they grew brighter. After a few minutes, the entire League began to see the healing process speed up on the injured man, Luca's cut stopping bleeding. It was a start, but in a second Lena had leant forwards to touch their foreheads together, giving him a little bit more of her power until the wound was gone altogether, sealing up to leave an angry red mark in its place.

Luca leaned back and stared at her accusingly, letting their contact drop and returning them to normal. "Hey, there was no need to do that! I would have been okay with it just not bleeding."

"But I wanted to heal you," Lena laughed in reply. "Thank you for saving my sister."

"What just happened?" Felicity squeaked up, looking between everyone with confusion plastered all over her face. "How is that possible?"

Luca answered for her, "This idiot just gave me some of her strength to heal me. I didn't need that much though, and now she's weakened herself for no reason."

"You're welcome, _forastero_," Lena answered back, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Stranger?" Luca sniggered back, the joke apparent between the two of them but lost to everyone else, "come on now, we may have started out as strangers, but we're more than friends now."

"Amen, brother."

Felicity just blinked again, "Why do I feel like I'm completely out of the loop of something important?"

"Because we've all got some stories to tell," Lena replied calmly, helping Luca to his feet. He looked fine now, face returning to its normal pallor. She turned to her sister, hugging her tightly, "I'm sorry for everything, Fee. Mom would be proud of you for today."

"You too," Felicity said back, letting her go and stepping back, "is anyone going to explain what's going on?"

"Yeah, but let's do it over breakfast. I'm starving."

* * *

Somehow, Lena managed to convince the entire League her idea was a good one, and that was how they ended up crowed around six tables at the diner on the outskirts of Coast she always went to, eating breakfast. It was apparently her answer to anything, but nobody could find a problem with it.

For the next for hours, Oliver paid the diner to shut so they could talk in peace, and they did just that.

Lena and Luca told the story of their year in captivity again, from the Sensei to the serum to Ra's. Hearing it in their own words was haunting for the League; Felicity, hearing it for the first time, was appalled and sat next to her sister for the entire time, face aghast.

Once they were done, she was crying, hugging her sister like she never intended on letting go.

Sensing the mood of the room turning, Luca and Lena shared a look and started telling some happier stories instead. It turned out there were quite a few; they laughed genuinely telling their friends about the year they had lived together with Mrs. Smoak and trying to live semi-normal lives. Lena revealed that occasionally they would use their powers a little selfishly, using her teleportation to travel around the world a handful of times. They told stories about going to Vegas and getting arrested; seeing the Grand Canyon and going to London and trying to draw one another at the Louvre in Paris. In truth, even they had forgotten that the good times existed, but it made their spirits soar to talk about them.

They had won today, not quite believing they were free of Ra's too, so told happy stories. It said a lot about them.

After that, it was Felicity's turn to tell her story about the day, starting with escaping from Mount Justice to seeing her mother for the first time. She broke down a little when she told them about what the Lantern had said, taunting her about leaving. Oliver had took her hand and squeezed it at that point, pressing his lips to her forehead. Finding strength in him and the people around her, she was able to tell the rest of it.

Finally, everyone knew the truth about everything, as they sat in a small diner with friends, a new sun rising outside.

"We don't know everything," Oliver pointed out suddenly, turning to Lena in horror, "what did you do to Slade?"

"Oh," she shrugged, "I dropped him somewhere in the Arctic and left him. I figured he couldn't hurt anyone from there."

"We should collect him," Batman pointed out, "he should be punished for his crimes, but letting him freeze to death is . . ."

"Cold?" Roy finished, sniggering. "I say we let him die."

"No," Lena shook her head, agreeing with Batman. "No more killing. But we can't let him keep attacking us either, I have to know there's somewhere we can lock him up for good."

"I have a solution for that," Batman said, almost smiling. His tone was cryptic, "and I have a feeling you'll really like it. We need to get to a Zeta tube."

* * *

The light of the Zeta covered them all at once, Batman rigging a mass- teleport for the League. Stepping out, they all simultaneously looked around the sleek base they appeared to be standing in, a few wandering around.

"What is this?" Oliver asked, Felicity holding his hand and already eyeing up the new computers.

"It's called the Watchtower," Batman announced grandly, "it's the League's new headquarters. From here, we'll be able to monitor activity on Earth, including any alien incursions."

Lena had walked towards what she thought was a window, stopping with a gasp when she reached it and saw stars. "Wait," she said loudly, turning around to see them with wide eyes, "we're in space?"

"Yep," Superman confirmed, smiling at her, "we thought you'd like that."

"There are also holding cells aboard," Batman announced, "will that be acceptable to hold Mr. Wilson? He'll be a long way from Earth, in any case."

"It's perfect," Lena nodded firmly, "thank you. I'm guessing you built it."

Batman shrugged, "I had help."

He, Superman and a few others left after a few minutes, taking the parked Batplane to collect Slade from the Arctic. The rest of the League drifted away, going to explore the space station – in Barry and Wally's case, zipping around it in five seconds exclaiming about how cool it was. Lena laughed as they passed her in a gust of wind, Luca still leaning on her as they walked for support. He'd be in pain for a little while, but standing in front of the window and seeing nothing but space, he smiled.

"We're free."

Lena looked up to him and grinned herself, "Told you we'd make it."

He laughed, echoing the words they'd passed around for nearly five years, "It's a good life, Lena."

"Yeah, it is."

She leaned until her head was on his shoulder, sighing contently. Originally, their plan had been to escape. To see how far they had come now, they had gained so much more than that. They had a family now.

Turning her head, Lena saw Oliver and Felicity hadn't strayed far either, standing a few feet away. Felicity noticed her looking and came over, reaching out and squeezing her sister's hand gently with a smile which said more than either of them ever could. They didn't need to talk to know that this was it – a fresh start, the beginning of everything. But whatever came next, they were facing it together.

For a little while, they stood and watched the stars, until Luca coughed in pain. Seeing him grimace, Lena shook her head. "Come on," she said, pulling him towards the exit, "you need to rest. You can come back here another time, for now you need to go to bed."

"Aw, Lena," he groaned back.

"I'm not changing my mind, deal with it," she replied curtly, stopping to add to Felicity, "I'll see you a little later."

"Be home for dinner, I'll order pizza," Felicity replied. She felt a pang of worry at seeing her sister leaving so soon after disaster, but hid it with a smile. Chances are, she would feel that way every time Saber went on a mission, but that didn't make it hurt any less. She could try to smile, though.

"You got it, Fee."

"Wait a sec!" Hal replied, running into the room. He stopped in front of Lena with a grin, fishing around in his pocket for a moment before pulling something out and holding it out her on, resting on the palm of his hand – a ring. "Take it," he urged, "I know you said no to the Guardians before, but I think that it's because you didn't think you were going to live then."

"I . . . yeah," Lena winced, hating that he'd called her bluff.

"Now it's sorted, you should take it," Hal told her with a laugh, "you were good with the Lantern rings, but this one especially. If there's ever a mission in this sector, come have adventures with me. It will be a laugh, I swear."

"And it's just a part-time thing? I can't leave like you do, Hal," Lena looked up and smiled, "my family needs me here."

"Just part time," he promised.

Lena reached out, slowly taking the ring from him. She didn't put it on, but considered it carefully for a second before putting it in her pocket, resolving to try it out later. Without another word, she winked at him and left with Luca, the Zeta taking them home.

"Hal," Felicity called out, waving the Lantern over. When he was close, she frowned, "you'll keep her safe, right? After all of this, she deserves a break."

"Oh, she'll love it," he laughed back, "she breezed through boot camp and loves flying, Lena will be fine. She's a natural."

"If the ring today was Black, and yours is Green, what colour was the one you just gave her?"

Hal grinned like it was the best thing in the world, "Blue."

Felicity frowned a little, but the answer to the question erased all doubt from her mind, replacing it with a smile. "And what emotion do Blue rings run off?"

"Hope."

* * *

_"In fearful day, in raging night,_  
_With strong hearts full, our souls ignite,_  
_When all seems lost in the War of Light,_  
_Look to the stars- For hope burns bright!" - Blue Lantern Corps Oath._

_**The End. **_


End file.
